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Brookline, MA Voter Guide

Election date: May 5, 2026

Polling place: Brookline Town Hall, 333 Washington Street, Brookline, MA 02445

Select Board

John R. VanScoyoc — Six-year Select Board veteran seeking re-election. Emphasizes experience and independence. Key issues: balanced approach to Chestnut Hill West development, fiscal restraint on overrides, sustainable budget growth, and pausing Beacon Street bridle path spending until costs are clearer. Retired news producer, 40+ year Brookline resident.
Amanda Zimmerman — Focused on moving Brookline from planning to execution. Priorities: climate action, safe streets, revenue growth, and housing. Wants to guide town staff to implement existing plans rather than create new ones. Emphasizes that time is critical for affordability and sustainability.
Anthony Buono — Town Meeting Member and Advisory Committee veteran with a data/finance background. Priorities: protecting Brookline's AAA bond rating, expanding the commercial tax base to avoid endless overrides, roadway safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and senior care including sidewalk accessibility and mental health outreach.

School Committee

Suzanne Federspiel — Incumbent School Committee member committed to equitable, high-quality public education for every Brookline student.
Laura Baines-Walsh — Educator and parent running on "every child seen, supported, challenged." Priorities: clear academic benchmarks, cell phone/technology policies, stronger middle school experience, good governance and fiscal transparency, critical thinking, and meeting all students' needs.
Aylit Schultz — Nephrologist and 20+ year Brookline resident making her first run. Focuses on academic excellence and fiscal responsibility. Concerned about leadership turnover (seven superintendents in ten years) and wants a focused, strategic, financially disciplined School Committee.
Faiza Khan — Public school educator and district math director with a doctorate in educational leadership and an MBA. Priorities: high academic expectations with student support, transparent budget alignment with educational goals, and long-term collaborative planning rather than crisis-driven decisions.

Trustees of the Public Library

Chris Chanyasulkit — Incumbent library trustee committed to expanding access, digital resources, and community programming at Brookline Public Library.
Marissa F. Vogt — Planetary physicist and Library Trustee since 2023 running for re-election. Champions intellectual freedom (anti-book-bans), inclusive library programming, and community accessibility. Also a Town Meeting Member focused on affordable housing, school support, and pedestrian/bike infrastructure.
Amy Newell — Software engineer turned library advocate. Believes libraries are critical democratic infrastructure. 25 years in tech, Brookline resident since 1998, Town Meeting Member since 2023. Wants to bring tech and leadership perspective to the trustee role.
Shawn K O'Neal — Civic leader and community organizer running to make Brookline's library more equitable and accessible for all residents.
Petra G. Bignami — Runs on governance, budget/finance, and talent management expertise. Emphasizes moderation and compromise over polarized politics. Pledges to support the new Library Director and ensure strong programming. Endorsed by Brookline PAX, Brookline by Design, and Brookline for Responsible Government.

Housing Authority

Jonathan Klein — Civic activist and Town Meeting Member focused on expanding Brookline's affordable housing stock.

Constable

Joseph Figler

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 1

Sarah Ericsson
Amy R. Evenson
Carol B. Hillman
Bettina Neuefeind
Paul Warren

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 2

Robert M. Miller
Colleen Newsome
Markus L. Penzel
Ariel Soiffer
David Trevvett
Megan Hinman

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 3

Murray Dewart
Anne L. Turner
Sadaf K Kazmi
Gregory Wheeler
Leigh Heyman
Sean Leckey

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 4

Elizabeth Childs
Christopher Dempsey
Matthew Hyatt
Liz Linder
Awet Teame
Zahriyannah Karakashian-Jones

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 5

Anthony Evans Flint
Wendy Friedman
Wendy Stahl
Ian Huntington
Benjamin Day

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 6

Catherine C. Anderson
Patricia Ann Correa
Bitsy Perlman
Clinton Q. Richmond

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 7

John P. Hebert
Amy Isikoff Newell
Jessica W. Stokes
Matthew D. Zalesak
Samantha Rothberg
Rani D. Balakrishna

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 8

John Harris
Nancy Heller
Alexander Lebovitz
Francine B. Perler
Eric C. Stone
Kailey Bennett
Catherine Michaels

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 9

Lee L. Biernbaum
Marion Freedman-Gurspan
Martin R. Rosenthal
Judith A. Vanderkay
Carey Goldberg
Ben Chostner
Aron Unger
Jess Levasseur
Emily Jaffe
Katherine Wilkins

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 10

Suzette Abbott
Kimberly Elizabeth Loscalzo
Ariel C. Maddocks
Jessica M. Lang
Nimisha Schneider
Robert T. Rogers

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 11

John Franklin Hilliard
John A. Rumpler
Andrew Riely
Akiva Leibowitz
Jennifer Goldsmith
Andrew Halpert
Carol B. Caro

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 12

Michael A. Burstein
Stephanie A. Bruce
Margaret B. Molloy
Jonathan Phillips
Tracy Margaret Harrison
Christopher James Stadler

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 13

Michael Thomas Best
Werner Lohe
David Mendels
Victoria Fernandez
Philip Steigman
Leigha Cuniberti

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 14

Youkavet Samih
Sharon R. Schoffmann
Sami Zelkha
Sassan Zelkha
Brenda Hefter

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 15

Arisa Susan Boit
Jane M. Flanagan
Benedicte J. Hallowell
Rory Hallowell
James C. Rourke Jr.
Blair Hines

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 16

Deborah Moore Abner
David S. Day
Michael Harrington
Judith Leichtner
Joseph Ross
Nick Fetzer

Town Meeting Member — Precinct 17

Katherine Elizabeth Haenschen
Elizabeth A. Schafer
Joseph Valencia
Anthony J. Buono
Jonathan Golden
Elizabeth Hudson
Franklin Cohen

Brookline, MA

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