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JERREY ROBERTS

Paradise City Tavern in Northampton, where an election party was held Tuesday night, was filled to capacity forcing a group of people to wait in line for entry.

AMHERST - Former Planning Board Chairman Aaron Hayden easily outdistanced three challengers to claim a seat on the Select Board at Tuesday's town elections.

With an unofficial 4,152 votes cast in his favor, Hayden more than doubled the vote totals of the other three contestants, with Vladimir Morales running in second with 2,491 votes, David Keenan in third with 812 votes and Calvin Brower trailing with 276 votes. Hayden won nine of the town's 10 precincts, only losing narrowly in Morales' own precinct.

Hayden, celebrating his win at Rafter's restaurant, thanked his supporters and his campaign team, saying that he will bring integrity to the Select Board and an ability to listen to all residents.

"I want to make it effective, make service to the town attractive and tackle the big issues in front of us fairly," Hayden said.

Hayden will replace Anne Awad, who resigned in August, and serve until next spring's annual elections, at which time he will have to run again for the full term.

Morales congratulated Hayden on his win. "I wish Aaron the best. I hope he does the best he can do the town as another voice on the Select Board," Morales said.

Keenan, though, said he doesn't envy Hayden because of the difficult financial situation the town is in. "Mr. Hayden will inherit a mess, while I'll be free to fight against (Proposition 2½ tax cap) overrides and do things in the schools and talk to Hampshire College about paying for its sludge," Keenan said.

While Keenan has been a perennial candidate for Select Board, Morales said he intends to compete for the position again next spring so he can remain a voice for those who are often left out of the local political process. "I will be a candidate for the three-year term after the election," Morales said. He added that he is satisfied his neighbors came out in support of his candidacy.

Robert Phillips, campaign manager for Hayden, said he thought the race would be close and competitive with Morales. "I felt confident people would choose Aaron because he's the best candidate," Phillips said.

Hayden and Morales were the only contestants who put out lawn signs, created campaign Web sites and formed campaign committees. With the next election not far away, both expect to keep these active.

Unlike Hayden and Morales, both Keenan and Brower, in his first effort at townwide office, did less formal campaigning.

Keenan said he was not surprised by the results of the race, noting that he didn't spend money on what he terms "the hoopla" or participate in the personal politics that included Hayden supporters disseminating information on the attendance record of Morales at School Committee meetings.

"An enormous amount of money was spent and power was played for a four-month seat," Keenan said.

Instead, Keenan said he saw his run as an opportunity to debate the issues of the day. "That's always worth it," Keenan said. "I will always be striving for a more active Select Board with a more administrative manager."

Meanwhile, a ballot question to increase the surcharge for the Community Preservation Act from 1.5 percent to 3 percent narrowly failed, with 5,294 against and 5,122 in support. The nearly even split reflected the same 2-2 divide on the Select Board on the issue.

Keenan said this vote would be seen as a way to take the temperature of the town on future Proposition 2½ overrides, noting that only he and Morales spoke out against these measures during the campaign.

Hayden said the vote on increasing the surcharge reflects the diversity of opinion in town. "That is what we need to honor," Hayden said.

Hayden acknowledged that he will inherit a difficult job, as town spending to maintain existing services is expected to exceed revenues by $2.9 million next year. Hayden said he will use the same skills he honed on the Planning Board and listen to all groups in town.

The final day of campaigning on the streets of Amherst was described as "energizing" by Hayden. He spent time holding his signs next to other people running for elective positions or taking stances on the statewide ballot initiatives at the popular downtown corner in front of the Bank of America.

"It was fun to see the cross section of Amherst that goes through that intersection every day," Hayden said. "It reminds me what a great town this is."

Town Clerk Sandra Burgess said there were some minor glitches during the day, but most of the polling at Amherst's 10 precincts went well, despite sometimes long lines that required patience on the part of the voters.