NORWAY – Two-term selectman Robert J. “Bobby” Walker, defeated for re-election in Tuesday’s annual town election, said Wednesday that he’ll be back again next year.

“I’m disappointed, but I thank the people who helped me, and as I get better and go to rehab there’s always another year. In 2008, I’ll run again,” he said.

Walker, 61, a resident of the Norway Rehabilitation and Living Center while he undergoes rehabilitation after suffering a series of strokes, has been serving as chairman of the Board of Selectmen for the past three years and had hoped to continue his work focusing on getting town roads in shape and ensuring that the state adheres to its promise of 55 percent funding for schools.

Walker comes from a political family, including a father who served as a Norway selectman in the 1950s. He’s well known for being the announcer at the Oxford Plains Speedway for many years before his retirement. This year, he has suffered another personal setback with the destruction of his home in a fire.

On Wednesday, Walker sounded upbeat and ready to continue his rehabilitation while he works on several books about the speedway’s history and prepares for the 2008 town election.

“Tell them I’ll be back,” he said.