On Sunday, Michael Crowley formalized his plans to seek a second term as town moderator, a position he won last April. He announced his intention to run again in early November.
As of Monday, his only challenger is former Select Board member Adam Dash.
Crowley ran to improve participation in Town Meeting, diversify the moderator appointments, and increase participation in town government. According to Crowley, he’s actively recruiting new Town Meeting members, he’s started an advisory group to provide input on appointments, and he has tried to make appointments that include underrepresented voices in Belmont.
“It’s always difficult to spotlight a single goal when there are multiple reasons why I’m running for re-election,” Crowley wrote in an email to The Voice. “However, maintaining accessibility to Town Meeting has got to be my goal number one. We have to keep our Town Meeting hybrid. It’s the only way to ensure that many parents, people with disabilities, those who have to be out of town for work, and so many of our elderly can participate.”
Belmont holds hybrid Town Meeting under a temporary state authorization, which lapses in March 2027, Crowley said.
Dash announced his plans to run in early November, touting his experience.
“With three first-term members [of the Select Board] and a moderator who is new, there is no one person with the experience and knowledge to serve as a sounding board,” he said.
Moderator is not the only race of interest. Daniel Lander, a Cambridge resident, announced plans to run for the Middlesex and Suffolk state Senate seat currently held by William Brownsberger.
In his announcement, Lander wrote that he is running to address what he calls a growing affordability crisis in Massachusetts.
“The communities of this district are under attack from the Trump administration. We need a State Senate that stands up for our knowledge economy, bringing down costs, and isn’t stuck defending a broken status quo. I look forward to hearing the concerns and dreams of residents and sharing my vision for an affordable, livable Massachusetts over the months to come,” he wrote.
Lander is currently a senior policy adviser for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. He plans to leave that role Jan. 9, 2026, to campaign full-time.
In an email, Brownsberger said he plans to run for re-election next fall.
“I welcome the opportunity to engage with voters in an active campaign. I am eager to talk about my commitment to service, my record of delivering major reforms, and the challenges and opportunities facing the commonwealth,“ Brownsberger wrote.
Also on the state level, Select Board member Elizabeth Dionne has jumped into the race for state treasurer. The incumbent, Deborah Goldberg, has announced plans to seek another term in the office she’s held for a decade.
Also in Belmont, Town Clerk Ellen O’Brien Cushman said two people other than Dash have taken nomination papers out for the town election in April.
Carol Berberian, a former planning board member, has pulled nomination papers to run for the Select Board seat currently held by Dionne.
Anne Mahon has pulled papers to maintain her seat on the Housing Authority.
Nomination papers are now available from Cushman’s office. The last day to file signed papers is Feb 17, 2026. The last day to register to vote in Belmont’s town election is March 28, 2026.
