Strafford County delegation appoints Leslie Feliciano to fill District 1 commissioner seat

The Strafford County delegation appointed Leslie Feliciano to fill the vacant District 1 county commissioner seat after a roll-call vote held near the end of the delegation meeting.

Two candidates addressed the delegation before the vote: Susan Rice (who described a history of local meeting attendance and a platform of fiscal discipline, energy projects and constituent outreach) and Leslie Feliciano (who described long-term local ties, small-business experience and an emphasis on the nursing home, jail staffing and county records services). Both candidates responded to brief questions from delegation members about residency, experience and plans for the office.

After the candidate presentations the delegation voted by roll call; the clerk recorded 20 votes for Leslie Feliciano and 8 for Susan Rice. Delegation members discussed process and the presence of an outstanding residency eligibility inquiry that had been referred to other authorities; some members argued the appointment should be postponed pending that investigation, while a majority proceeded with the vote.

The appointee will serve until the next regular election cycle when voters will choose a commissioner for District 1. Delegation members noted that if a legal determination later found the appointee ineligible, the delegation would need to re-advertise the position and rehear candidates; neither the delegation nor county staff asserted a presumption about the outcome of any pending inquiry.

The delegation recorded a short public-comment period on the selection and several residents spoke in support of each candidate.