At least for some people, Tuesday's municipal elections in Canton, Massachusetts, appeared to be a kind of referendum on the high-profile murder trial of Karen Read, set to start just two weeks away.
The way the town has handled the murder case was part of the reason why Rita Lombardi and Trish Boyden challenged incumbents Mike Loughran and Tom Theodore, who did not respond to NBC10 Boston requests for comment Tuesday, for their seats on the Canton Select Board.
"We plan to make history today," said Lombardi on Tuesday. "This movement, which started with Karen Read, OK, for truth and transparency … it transcends politics."
"There is a chasm that has never been in this town," said Boyden. "It's a mile long and 10 feet deep."
The challengers had mixed results: Boyden was elected and had the most votes, while Loughran held on to his seat ahead of Lombardi.
See the Canton election results here.
Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, in January of 2022. Her lawyers say she's being framed as part of a massive coverup — something prosecutors have denied.
The trial is set to begin April 16.
Some voters said the case was completely unrelated to local politics, but others said it shines a light on a lack of transparency in town.
"The way this election is going — it was for the wrong reasons. There's a lot of anger," Canton resident Joe Masciarelli said. "I don't believe in the big conspiracy theory. There are just too many people that they are looking at here."
"There's a lot that went on that is covered up by people that have been here a long time," said resident Eleanor Moles.
"I think she's innocent. Things just don't add up," said Johanna Falk.
"I don't really have a firm opinion on it right now," resident Elizabeth Hedges said. "It's he-said-she-said, so I'm curious how it's going to unfold in the courtroom."
