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Anand Sharma wins Shrewsbury Select Board seat
Sharma led a competitive three-candidate race, unseating an incumbent in Shrewsbury’s annual town election.
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Staff Reporter - Thu, 07, May 2026
- 01:41 EDT
- 18
Anand Sharma / Anand Sharma Website
Indian-American candidate Anand Sharma won a seat on the Shrewsbury Select Board in the town’s May 5 annual election, emerging as the top vote-getter in one of the community’s most closely watched local races in recent years.
According to unofficial election results released May 5 night, Sharma received 2,266 votes in the three-candidate contest for two open three-year seats on the board. Incumbent Carlos Garcia secured the second seat with 2,252 votes, while incumbent Beth Casavant lost re-election by a narrow margin with 2,182 votes.
The election drew 4,186 voters, representing about 6.45 percent of Shrewsbury’s registered voters. Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across town precincts.
ALSO READ: Anand Sharma announces candidacy for Shrewsbury Select Board
The Select Board race featured two incumbents seeking re-election and Sharma, a first-time candidate for the board.
Locally, the outcome was viewed as a significant political shift after Sharma defeated a sitting board member following a grassroots campaign centered on development, infrastructure, fiscal planning and transparency.
Throughout the campaign, Sharma emphasized what he described as “responsible and balanced growth,” along with infrastructure planning, fiscal responsibility, school capacity concerns, preservation of green space and support for seniors and families.
On his campaign platform, Sharma argued that rapid development in Shrewsbury had “overcrowded our schools, strained our budgets, worsened traffic, and steadily eroding the green space that defines our town's character.”
Sharma said he supported slowing development in certain areas to better assess the impact on infrastructure, schools, traffic and public services.
“I am all for sustained development and support the moratorium in overlay districts to slow development and properly assess impacts on infrastructure, traffic, schools, public services, and, most importantly, the quality of life for existing residents,” he said on his campaign website.
Sharma also highlighted his professional and volunteer background during the race. According to his campaign website, he works at MIT Lincoln Lab and has a background in electrical engineering and business administration.
“As an Electrical Engineer with an MBA, currently working at MIT Lincoln Lab, I bring analytical thinking and sound financial judgment to policy-making,” Sharma said.
He also pointed to his involvement with local organizations, including Spirit of Shrewsbury, the Rotary Club, FIA and the town’s 300th Anniversary Celebration Committee.
In campaign statements, Sharma criticized several recent development-related decisions in town, including the “Beal Deal,” the MBTA zoning plan and the proposed GFI warehouses project over town aquifers.
He also referenced his opposition to a proposed Department of Public Works building project that voters rejected last year.
The election generated active discussion on local social media platforms and community forums following the release of the unofficial results, with residents debating turnout figures and the significance of the Select Board outcome.
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