Somerset Board of Selectman Candidate McNamara gets into verbal confrontation with former supporter

Somerset Board of Selectman candidate Holly McNamara was questioned by a former supporter over her resignation in 2021 from the board of selectman and the interaction was caught by Fall River Reporter.

On March 5th, McNamara was under a tent at Somerset Berkley Regional High School showcasing signs for her race for board of selectman. McNamara was interacting with voters as they either entered or exited the town’s only voting location, handing out cards with her campaign information on them.

At approximately 5:30 PM, McNamara approached voter Eugene Albernaz and handed him a piece of campaign literature. Albernaz, a Somerset resident, asked McNamara why she called him an “asshole” on a Facebook post back in 2021. Albernaz can be seen and heard telling McNamara that he voted for her in her previous two elections and that he was a supporter of hers, but when he criticized McNamara for resigning early in 2021, she called him an asshole.

Fall River Reporter was able to obtain a copy of the post and comments in question:

McNamara at first pushed back on Albernaz, saying she did not call him an asshole and that was not what she said. At one point she asks Albernaz to pull up the message between the two but Albernaz maintained it was a comment on a public Facebook post. McNamara maintained that what Albernaz said at the time was an “attack” to which Albernaz responded:

“You’re going to have people disagree with you in this town all the time.”

Albernaz continued to ask McNamara why she would call a voter and supporter the term, and eventually, McNamara responded:

“Because you probably were.”

Towards the end of the five-minute-long interaction, McNamara tells Albernaz “You can leave” and that he was being an “asshole, actually” and then tells Albernaz to “get the fuck out of here.”

McNamara’s boyfriend eventually approached the tent and McNamara can be heard telling him “he’s (Albernaz) offended I called him an asshole three years ago. He’s very offended.”

Albernaz makes one more attempt to get an answer from McNamara and states “I just want an explanation” and McNamara responds:

“Clearly you’re still an asshole so goodbye” and turns away from Albernaz.

That same night, McNamara’s campaign Facebook page shared a post stating that McNamara was “attacked” outside the polls.

Fall River Reporter has learned that McNamara has filed a complaint with the Somerset Police Department over the interaction and our recording of the event. A request to the Somerset Police Department Records Department was met with a response that the matter is currently still being investigated.

As the author of this article, it should be noted that I am a Somerset resident who went to the polling location after work to exercise my right to vote. I happened to be present for the McNamara and Albernaz confrontation and as any reporter would, pulled out my phone to record.

McNamara announced last month that she was running for another chance to serve the town as Selectman. Recent financial troubles have plagued the candidate but she maintains she is ready to serve. The Somerset town election is on April 8th.

Fall River Reporter reached out to McNamara’s campaign for comment but did not receive a response.