Brue, Coppola Win Selectmen Seats

The effort to build a casino in Foxborough took a huge step backwards Monday night when Foxborough voters decided to elect two anti-casino candidates to the Board of Selectmen. Former State Representative Ginny Coppola and incumbent Lorraine Brue both won three year terms in a result that indicated the town’s resistance towards a potential casino resort on Route 1. 

“I think it sends a message that the town of Foxborough is not interested in a casino site,” Coppola said.

Coppola was the highest vote getter of the evening with 3,608 votes unofficially in her favor. Brue came in second with 3,500 votes.

Coppola’s and Brue’s victories represent a major victory for anti-casino advocates. The addition of Coppola to the board of selectmen changes the vote on the issue to four selectmen against negotiations for a casino to one for negotiations.

“Its just a stronger message that we can send to the governor and the gaming commission that Foxboro’s not suited for a casino,” Brue said.

Selectman Lynda Walsh remains the only member of the board to be in favor of negotiations. Mark Sullivan and James DeVellis both voted against negotiation over the casino.

For selectmen chairman Larry Harrington, this will be the first time since 2006 that he has not held an elected position in Foxborough. The former Mansfield selectman and Foxborough school board member finished in third with 2,610 votes.

Martha Slattery finished in fourth place with 2,469 votes. While Slattery never threw her support behind the construction of a casino, she supported negotiations for and listening to a potential proposal. This was the second selectman campaign for Slattery who also serves on the school board. She last ran for selectman unsuccessfully in 2009.

With state law stating that the board of selectmen must negotiate a host committee to negotiate with casino developers, it appears that the creation of a host committee is impossible at the moment. When asked if this effectively kill the proposal, Brue said, “Given the way the legislation is written this would stop the casino project.”

Back in December, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said that he would not go ahead with a casino if the town didn’t want it. 

“I understand their concerns, and unless we can satisfy the mothers of the people here that this is in the best interest of the community, then we don’t want to do it,” Kraft said in an interview with the Boston Globe last December.

Despite the board of selectmen voting 3-2 to not negotiate with Kraft or casino mogul Steve Wynn, plans went ahead to create a proposal for a casino including a DVD and several mailings to Foxborough residents by Jobs for Foxboro. While Wynn spokeswoman Deanna Pettit said in a statement to FOX 25 that the project would not be effected by the results of the election, anti-casino advocates are confident that the results delivered a message to the Wynn Group and pro-casino advocates.

“They (Kraft and Wynn) said that if the town of Foxboro had any kind of hesitation that they would back off,” Coppola said. "We started protesting, they did not back off. This is a referendum that they have been asking for.” 

The buzz over the casino drew attention from all over the state as practically every major news station from Boston were present as election warden Kathy Brady announced the results.

As expected voter turnout saw a significant increase over last year’s turnout of 1,876 voters. 6,196 voters came out for this year’s election that resulted in a 58-percent voter turnout.

“This has been the most intense reaction to an election that I’ve seen,” Brue said.

The numbers, almost unheard of for a local election, almost doubles the 2010 turnout of 27.3%.

Unoffical Results                                                                                  

Ginny Coppola: 3,608

Lorraine Brue: 3,500

Larry Harrington: 2,610

Martha Slattery: 2,469

For complete results of the other races click here