Groton - Republican Mayor James Streeter was the big winner Tuesday, pulling in 2,569 votes, the highest count among 17 council candidates.

The Republicans extended their advantage on the Town Council from 6-3 to 7-2, according to unofficial results.

Republican Town Councilor Harry Watson was second, with 2,378 votes. Heather Bond-Somers, also a Republican, had the highest tally among three newcomers to the Town Council.

The incumbents who won re-election include Republicans Mick O'Beirne Jr., Deb Peruzzotti and Bruce Flax, as well as Democrat Bill Johnson.

Two of the council's three Democrats, Paulann Sheets and Catherine Kolnaski, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday, chose not to run again.

The Republicans bolstered their ranks when all of their incumbents were re-elected and one of their newcomers, Dean Antipas won a seat. Johnson, the Democrat, will be joined by fellow party member Rita M. Schmidt.

Board of Education

In one of the biggest surprises in an Election Day with few, Brian Shirvell, the Democratic chairman of the Board of Education, was defeated, garnering the least amount of votes among seven candidates vying for five seats.

Shirvell's leadership has been challenged recently by Friends For Affordable Education, a political action committee. The chairman has been accused of failing to manage Superintendent of Schools Paul Kadri.

"The present BOE, has not done enough to control the superintendent's unilateral actions," Andrew Parrella, FFAE chairman, said.

Parrella also sought the defeat of Elizabeth Gianacoplos, a Democrat, who received 2,519 votes, second only to Rita Volkmann, also a Democrat, who led all board candidates with 2,613 votes.

The Democrats took four of five available seats on the school board and will hold a 5-4 majority. Newcomers -- Republican Shelley Gardner and Democrat Kim Shepardson-Watson -- joined incumbent Democrats Patricia Doyle, Beth Gianacoplos and Rita Volkmann, who topped all school board candidates with 2,613 votes. (EDITOR'S NOTE: This paragraph corrects an earlier version.)

On the nine-member school board, where terms overlap, five terms expired this year. Four were held by Democrats until recently, when former Republican Gianacoplos switched her affiliation to Democrat.

c.potter@theday.com