Russ Raymond launches second campaign for Athol Selectboard seat

ATHOL – Russ Raymond has launched another campaign for a seat on the Selectboard.

Asked why he has decided to join the other three candidates in this year’s Town Election, Raymond said, “I wanted to run again because I still want to serve the town. I think Athol is a great community and can continue to be great. I want to be part of that.”

In addition to Raymond, candidates for the two available seats on the Selectboard include incumbent Brian Dodge, Jon Costa, Alex Blake, Jr. and Margot Parrot.

Raymond, 54, was one of four candidates to run in the September 2025 special election to fill the seat vacated by former board member Andy Sujdak in April of that year, but did not receive enough votes to win.

Since then, he has joined the Downtown Vitality Committee, but was approached by several residents who urged him to run again.

“They said, ‘Please run again if a position opens up, or even if you have to run against an incumbent.’ They really like my views. My wife and I talked about it for a while,” he said. “I really didn’t talk about with my dad about it other than to ask him to sign my nomination papers.”

The candidate said he plans on increasing his campaign’s social media presence, “and I plan on scheduling some meet-and-greets; I’d like people to come meet with me and talk about the different things that are important to them. I want to work with people to solve the difficulties we’re bound to face in the future.”

Near the top of Raymond’s priority list for Athol is economic development.

“We need more businesses to come into town,” he said. “We have empty shops, empty storefronts over by Hannaford’s, over by Hobby Lobby, and they’ve been vacant now for quite some time. What do we need to do to attract businesses to those locations?”

Raymond also recalled the layoff of 78 employees from L.S. Starrett in July of last year.

“While I certainly don’t think the new owners are likely to shut down the plant, as some folks had feared, I do think we need to work together to make sure they want to stay in Athol. But my biggest thing is working to bring both large and small businesses into the area.

“Everyone thinks of North Quabbin Commons when they think of stores and jobs in Athol, but downtown really does have a lot to offer [to] both business owners and shoppers,” he said. “Vitality doesn’t mean simply beautifying the downtown area; it’s rebuilding the variety of businesses available to residents and visitors to Athol.”

Raymond, who works in Hannaford’s human resources department, is the son of former board member Stephen Raymond, who chose not to seek reelection in 2025 after serving 15 years. The younger Raymond grew up in Orange and graduated from Mahar Regional High School in 1990. He then earned a degree in restaurant management from UMass/Amherst.

While in high school, he gained a love of the restaurant business while washing dishes at the once-popular Homestead Restaurant in Orange. His career took him to Appleton, Wisconsin, and Honolulu, Hawaii, before he and his wife returned to Athol in December 2020. The couple have four daughters.

The Town Election will take place on Monday, April 6. Polls at Town Hall will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents may apply for a mail-in ballot by email: vote@townofathol.org; or fax: 978-249-2491. All applications must include a hand-written signature. A typed signature is not acceptable unless a voter needs special accommodation due to a physical disability. Voters unable to sign their application or mark their ballot should contact the town clerk’s office for assistance.