REHOBOTH - Kenneth Foley is Rehoboth's newest selectman after defeating finance committee member Gerald Schwall by nearly 500 votes in Monday's annual town election.

Foley said he wants to unite the town.

"I will represent everyone in this town, not just a select few," Foley said. "Let's all get together and unite this town. We have a great town here, and we want to keep it rural and provide a great town for all the citizens."

Schwall said he was disappointed with the outcome, but was better off for the experience.

"I ran the campaign to win, but win or lose, I wanted to be proud of the campaign I ran," Schwall said. "I've met hundreds of wonderful people because of the campaign who otherwise I may have never met. I wish Mr. Vadnais, Mr. Morra and Mr. Foley the best." Meanwhile, newcomers Jim Paon and Robyn Balents unseated Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School Committee members Mary Moriarty and Casey Hall in a four-way race for two three-year terms.

In a separate race for a one-year term on this board, incumbent Maureen Brawley defeated challenger Fred Suzman.

Also, Alan Gosselin won a one-year term on the planning board by defeating Erik Dykeman by 231 votes.

The turnout was 2,807 voters, or 37 percent, according to the town clerk's office.

Complete election results were unavailable until early Tuesday morning because of a deluge of almost 1,000 write-in votes.

Town Clerk Kathleen Conti said she'd never seen that many write-ins in the 10 years she's been with the clerk's office.

"It was like a separate election onto itself," Conti said.

One of several Independent Reform Party candidates running on Monday, Foley won a three-year term as a selectman by defeating Schwall by 493 votes, or 1,634 to 1,141.

Schwall ran against Selectman Christopher Morra Jan. 7 in an acrimonious recall election.

Incumbent Steve Martin is stepping down this spring after one term. In the school board race, voters ousted regional school board incumbents Moriarty and Hall. Paon got the most votes, 1,297, in this race for two three-year terms.

Balents was second with 1,255 votes, Moriarty third with 1,180 votes and Hall fourth with 1,073 votes. Brawley retained her one-year seat, defeating Suzman by 674 votes, 1,521 to 847.

For planning board, Gosselin received 1,317 votes and Dykeman received 1,086 votes.

In a two-way write-in campaign for a five-year term on the park commission, Donald Leffort won handily. Leffort received 374 votes. Daniel Noons was second with 25 votes.

Several candidates were elected unopposed.

They were: town moderator, William Cute Jr.; tax collector, Cheryl Gouveia; assessor, Peter Jacobson; housing authority, Patricia O'Hern and Dean McElwain; planning board, Michael Costello and MaryLou Jones-Drown; water commissioners, Walter Munroe and A. Werner Horlbeck.

Gouveia, Jacobson, Munroe and Horlbeck were elected for three years. McElwain, Costello and Jones-Drown were elected for five years. O'Hern was elected for two years, and Cute was elected for one year.

STAFF WRITER MICHAEL GELBWASSER contributed to this report.