10:21 PM Tue, Nov 04, 2008
Mike McKinney

Acting Charlestown Council president James M. Mageau, an outspoken figure on one of Rhode Island's most colorful town councils and the council's only incumbent seeking re-election, tonight appears to have lost his seat on the panel, according to unofficial results at the state Board of Elections.

All told, nine candidates vied for five seats on the council. Besides Mageau -- who was not endorsed by the local Democratic Committee, there are two other Democrats, two Republicans and four independents.

With all seven precints reporting, the unofficial tally shows that Democrats were shut out and a slate of independents and Republicans won council seats. Here is the unofficial tally:

Marjorie F. Frank, independent: 2,608 votes

Gregory J. Avedisian, independent: 2,597 votes

Richard H. Hosp, independent: 2,521 votes

Forrester C. Safford, Republican: 2,426 votes

Charlene W. Dunn, Republican: 2,424 votes

Raymond Stanley Dreczko Jr., Democrat: 1,350 voters

Ralph C. Conti, Democrat: 1.335 votes

Frank L. Bradbury, independent: 1,069 votes

In the town's politics this year, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance played a role as well, endorsing a mixed slate of Republicans and independents: Dunn, Safford, Avedesian, Frank, and Hosp -- and those are just the candidates who took the top five spots in unofficial results tonight.