Write-in candidate win in Mansfield

Write-in candidates in Mansfield ousted the town’s Republican mayor and defeated a Republican newcomer to win two township committee seats there.

Robert Tallon finished first with 2,429. He launched his bid after the committee voted to dissolve its environmental commission, of which Tallon was a member. His running mate, teacher Daniel Golenda, received 2,383.

Those tallies give them a safe margin over Mansfield Mayor Janice DiGiuseppe (2,132), who ran just two votes ahead of Republican newcomer Paul Tsiknakis, who received 2,130 votes.

The write-in campaign was also spurred when the committee enacted a hard 2.5-hour time limit on meetings they said was meant to limit public comment.