Richmond Selectboard race pits incumbent against three challengers

Richmond voters will choose between continuity and a return to familiar names when four candidates compete for two three-year Selectboard seats, a race that could steer taxes, road work and the tone of town government for the next several years.

Incumbent Robert “Bucky” Bodge, the board chair, is seeking a fourth three-year term. Challengers Marilynn Grizkewitsch and O’Neil LaPlante both have prior Selectboard experience, while Stephen Caswell is best known locally as a former Richmond fire chief and, briefly, Manchester fire chief. Bodge did not respond to multiple requests for comment, leaving the clearest contrasts in the race to the three challengers’ stated priorities.

Caswell framed the contest around the pressure points that touch households most directly: keeping taxes reasonable, supporting the services families rely on and being open and honest so people know what is going on. Grizkewitsch pointed to the need for a realistic community growth plan, better communication between taxpayers and town officials and responsible spending. LaPlante put the emphasis on roads and reserve accounts, saying Richmond needs to repair aging roads and rebuild its financial cushions.

Those differences matter because Richmond Selectboard members are not paid like full-time officials. The annual stipend is $1,800, and the chair receives $1,950. The work is mostly civic labor, but the decisions can be costly: how much to spend on road repair, how quickly to rebuild reserves and how much tax pressure the town can absorb while still funding basic services.

The timing of the race also puts it in the middle of Maine’s 2026 election cycle. The statewide primary is June 9, 2026, and nonparty candidates had to file nomination petitions by 5 p.m. June 1, making Richmond’s contest part of the early June voter guide season across the state. In a town where a small board can shape budgets, public works priorities and the style of communication from town hall, the choice among Bodge, Grizkewitsch, LaPlante and Caswell will determine more than two names on a ballot.

Caswell’s municipal background stretches beyond Richmond. Central Maine reported that he took the Manchester fire chief job in February 2025 while continuing as Richmond’s part-time fire chief, and later reported that he resigned that Richmond post on Feb. 19, 2026. That history gives voters a candidate with deep public-service experience, even as he enters the Selectboard race as the only newcomer.