Beckham cruises to SB seat, McCourt reelected

JR McCourt and Julie Beckham were the top vote getters in this year’s Select Board race. (Mike Tureski photos)

The Canton Select Board will welcome one familiar face and one enthusiastic newcomer when they reconvene in open session next week after voters voiced their preference for Julie Beckham and JR McCourt in a spirited four-way race for two open board seats in Tuesday’s annual town election.

More than 1,400 voters cast their ballots early either by mail or in person, and nearly 3,000 more made it out to the polls on Election Day to decide 11 town offices, of which only two were contested.

The runaway winners were Julie Beckham in the Select Board race and incumbent Gene Manning in a two-way race for Board of Assessors, as both topped the ticket with more than 60 percent of the vote.

McCourt, the current Select Board chair, also fared well as the No. 2 finisher behind Beckham, securing a second consecutive three-year term after prior stints on the Zoning Board of Appeals and Building Renovations Committee.

For Beckham, as she noted during a recent candidates forum at the Canton Public Library, this marked her first run for office since she campaigned for class vice president as a seventh grader at the Galvin Middle School.

“I can’t promise you music in the cafeteria,” Beckham quipped in her opening remarks at the forum. “But if elected, I can promise you that I will advocate for Canton and for each and every resident.”

Clearly her message resonated with voters, as she was not only the top vote-getter among the four Select Board candidates; she also won all seven precincts, including several by comfortable margins.

In a statement issued after the results were announced, Beckham said it was “truly an honor” to be elected after running what she felt was a very “positive and energizing” campaign.

“I am incredibly grateful to my campaign team, the hundreds of volunteers and, of course, every resident who put their trust in me by voting,” she said. “I’m eager to work with the rest of the board and town employees to prepare for our annual town meeting in May and hope the energy generated in this election will serve as an invitation for more residents to participate on our local boards and committees.”

“I also want to congratulate and recognize my fellow candidates,” added Beckham. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to run for office, and I look forward to collaborating with them and all Canton residents who want to contribute to adding to Canton’s bright future.”

In securing her seat on the five-member board, Beckham becomes the sixth woman in Canton’s history to be elected to the Select Board — and third in as many years following similarly convincing victories by both Trish Boyden in 2024 and Sue Harrington in 2025.

While voters have been gravitating towards newcomers in recent Select Board races and did so again with their choice of Beckham, McCourt also performed quite well this year as an incumbent, garnering more than 2,076 votes out of 4,400 ballots cast and easily outpacing challengers Gregory Murphy (1,356 votes) and David Clough (1,113).

While fortunate for the opportunity to serve for another three years, McCourt said he also wanted to commend all of his opponents for stepping up and showing a desire to serve the community.

“It takes a lot to put your name on a ballot and run a campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors,” he said. “Also, congratulations to all of the winning candidates — I look forward to working with all of them. And I would like to thank all who supported my campaign. It is an honor and a privilege to serve the town of Canton.”

For Clough, Tuesday’s election results were a double disappointment as he lost both seats he had campaigned for, including a three-year term he had sought on the Board of Assessors.

The former Finance Committee member picked up 1,236 votes in the latter race but fell well short of the nearly 2,700 votes garnered by Manning.

Also reelected on Tuesday in uncontested races were incumbent School Committee members Kimberly McCourt and Sonja Grauds, as well as Dr. Julie Goodman on the Board of Health and George Comeau on the Library Board of Trustees.

Joining Beckham as first-time officeholders and winners were Robert Maffie, who ran unopposed for a five-year term on the Planning Board, and Elizabeth Emhardt, who secured a three-year seat on the Library Board of Trustees.

Additionally, two other newcomers were elected as write-in candidates, with Rob Fichman securing his own seat on the library board and Jeffrey Sullivan nabbing a three-year vacancy on the Planning Board.

Former Planning Board members Kathy McCormack and Bob MacDonald also received write-in votes in that race, but Sullivan edged them out by a handful of votes and the job is now his if he elects to be sworn in.

Compared to previous years, the 2026 town election had a lower overall voter turnout, with 4,436 ballots cast out of nearly 19,000 registered voters. In 2024, more than 6,000 residents voted either in person or by mail, and last year’s election drew more than 5,100 to the polls.

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