The filing period to declare candidacy for town elections has closed and now the candidates must complete the next step – getting enough signatures of registered voters to participate in the primaries in September and the elections in November. The deadline for submitting signatures is July 15, and for the offices in the Town of New Shoreham,the number each candidate needs is 50.But the unusual thing this year is the pronounced lack of candidates throwing their hats into the proverbial ring.First Warden André Boudreau has chosen not to run for re-election. In a statement on Facebook, Boudreau said: “I wanted to let you know that I will not be running for public office in 2022. Thank you for the opportunity to serve Block Island on the Town Council for the last six years and as First Warden for the last two.”“It was certainly a challenging time in our town’s history and I worked to be fair, approachable and accountable. I am happy that I always sought to act in the best interests of the island’s residents, regardless of whether it was politically popular.”Boudreau continued: “I hope that our younger residents will engage in the issues that matter most
