Piekarski The Lone Candidate In Special Election

HARWICH – When voters go to the polls to fill the unexpired term on the select board on April 9, there will be only one candidate on the ballot: former selectman Peter Piekarski.

Leo Cakounes, a former Barnstable County commissioner, was the first person to withdraw nomination papers for the vacant seat, but Cakounes told The Chronicle on Thursday he would not be filing his nomination papers because he did not have the necessary 50 signatures.

“I’m not going to do it. I couldn’t get the signatures,” said Cakounes. “I’m definitely not filing. I could only get three signatures and my wife was not one of them. I’ve lost popularity in the town of Harwich and I kind of like it. Nobody knows me anymore.”

Piekarski took out nomination papers shortly after Cakounes did so and filed them with the town clerk’s office for certification shortly thereafter. Piekarski has also taken out nomination papers for the three-year term on the select board that will be on the annual election ballot on May 21.

Last Friday was the deadline for obtaining nomination papers for the special election to fill the seat vacated by select board member Mary Anderson, who resigned in October. Piekarski is the only candidate seeking the 43-day unexpired term.

There were differing opinions in the community over the need to call a special election to fill Anderson’s seat. A motion presented by select board member Donald Howell seeking to call a special election did not receive a second from members of the board, and a petition bearing more than 200 signatures of registered voters was later filed to call the election. The date of the special election was pushed out so as not to conflict with the presidential primary election scheduled for March 5.

Cakounes said when he began talking to people about signing his nomination papers, many people said they would support someone who also wanted to serve for the three-year term on the board. Cakounes said when he obtained his nomination papers that he planned to run for just the 43-day unexpired term, but not the three-year seat. He said since a special election was called, he wanted to make sure there was a candidate on the ballot.

He said it’s nice that Peter Piekarski wants the three-year term, and the unexpired term will provide time for people to observe him as a member of the select board before they have to vote to fill the three-year term.

Nomination papers for elective positions on the annual election ballot can be obtained through March 29 and must be filed with the town clerk’s office for certification by April 2. Presently, Piekarski is the only candidate to date who has obtained his papers for the three-year term on the board.