2026 Candidate Statements
Below are statements from some of the candidates for this year’s elected positions. Please be aware statements are the expressed opinions of the individual candidate and not necessarily reflective of the Town’s beliefs. This page will be updated as submissions are received. The candidates below are not an exhaustive list of those running. For a full list, please refer to the Candidate’s Night post, here:
Robert Turner (Candidate for Supervisors of the Checklist)
“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” – Mother St. Teresa of Calcutta
I do want to change the world, so I strive to love my wife and our five children. OK, what else? I propose the next order of business is to “go home and love your town.”
Major headlines almost always talk about national and global events, but per the principle of subsidiarity, it is the person closest to something who ought to be responsible for it. Since newsworthy problems are typically so remote from us, their ultimate effects are a preoccupation with problems we cannot solve and a distraction from those we can. As a Supervisor of the Checklist, it will be my priority to encourage greater focus on our Town and School District, since I believe we are each responsible for their flourishing, and are each capable of making it happen.
Jeffrey Carter (Candidate for Trustees of the Trust Funds)
Appointed last summer as a Trustee of the Trust Funds [TTF] to fill a vacancy. My objective in seeking a 3-yr term is to provide fiduciary oversight of a conservative investment strategy to 1) generate income and 2) grow principal to match/exceed the economic inflation rate, to partially offset escalating property taxes. My relevant experience includes:
- New Ipswich Resident since 2018
- Retired Chief System Design Architect
- MBA Degree with a focus in Investment Finance
- Former City Counselor with an understanding of local government operations
Matt LaCoe (Candidate for Board of Selectmen)
Being eighth generation military, my family legacy has been safeguarding the people of the United States. I put my name forward as Selectman to continue that service for our town. Elected officials have the responsibility to protect the interests and common good of those they represent. Living here since 2018, I don’t feel that decisions town officials have made always reflect that duty obligation, and that needs changing.
Unlike others, I have no familial ties or hidden agendas to endorse. Instead, I want to work to find solutions to our fiscal challenges while ensuring people’s rights and interests are protected. Ensuring decisions made on behalf of our town are done fairly, with sound mind and proper equity. Our current course is not sustainable and must change. As a single voice on the Selectman’s Board, I cannot promise results however, what I can promise is effort.
--Matt LaCoe