2011 Portland, Maine Mayoral Election

Portland, Maine, held an election for mayor on November 8, 2011.

In November 2010, Portland voters approved a citywide referendum changing the city charter to recreate an elected mayor position that had previously been removed in 1923. From 1923 until 2011, city councilors chose one of themselves each year to serve as mayor, a primarily ceremonial position. On November 8, 2011, former State Senator and candidate for U.S. Congress Michael F. Brennan was elected. On December 5, 2011, he was sworn in as the first citizen-elected mayor in 88 years.

The new citizen-elected mayor serves full-time in the position for a four-year term, exercises the powers and duties enumerated in Article II Section 5 of the Portland City Charter,Portland City Charter
SEE: Article II Section 5. Mayor’s powers and duties. be elected using instant-runoff voting, and, like the rest of municipal government in Portland, be officially non-partisan.

Ballot access

The declared candidates filed paperwork with city hall to allow them to raise funds for their campaigns. The nomination papers became available on July 1 and the candidates were required to submit at least 300 valid signatures of Portland voters between August 15 and August 29 to be placed on the November ballot. As of the August 29 deadline, 16 candidates submitted their nomination petitions, and 15 petitions were validated: Bragdon, Brennan, Bryant, Carmona, Dodge, Duson, Eder, Haadoow, Lapchick, Marshall, Mavodones, Miller, Rathband, Strimling, and Vail. Bennett fell five signatures short of the required 300.

Race

As of July 4, Christopher Vail was invalidated by city attorney Gary Wood from running due to his employment by the city as a firefighter but this was overturned shortly thereafter. As of July 8, Zouhair Bouzrara was in court facing charges after allegedly drinking alcohol, a violation of parole given to him a year early after being accused of threatening to kill a co-worker in July 2010. Bouzrara withdrew during the petitioning process.Mayor Watch 2011
The West End News

Endorsements

On September 27, David Marshall was endorsed by the Maine League of Young Voters. On October 11, Portland Tomorrow, a group made up of some former charter commissioners and other supporters of the elected mayor referendum, endorsed Michael Brennan. On the same day, the Portland Education Association endorsed Nick Mavodones. On October 17, the Portland Press Herald endorsed Michael Brennan. On October 26, Jed Rathband received the sole endorsement from the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee. On November 1, Ethan Strimling received the endorsement of John Eder. On November 1, David Marshall received the endorsement of Maine Green Independent Party. On November 1, Nicholas Mavodones received the endorsements of Carpenters Local 1996 and AFSCME Local 481. On November 5, The Portland Daily Sun endorsed Michael Brennan.

Candidates

On the ballot

* Charles Bragdon, Munjoy Hill resident,Nomination Papers
listing of candidate status & contact information maintained & published by Portland City Clerk perennial municipal candidate & taxi-driver. Bragdon has run for office as a Democrat, Green and unenrolled.
* Michael Brennan, Back Cove resident, former State Representative, former State Senator, unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Congress in 2008, Co-Chair of the National Board of Advisors of Casey Family Services, former adjunct faculty member at the University of New England, and currently works as a policy associate at the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine.
* Peter Bryant, Back Cove resident, retired merchant seaman and former U.S. Marine
* Ralph Carmona, Munjoy Hill resident, resident of Portland for under one year,LULAC leader ponders mayoral bid
''Portland Daily Sun'', May 21, 2011 former Bank of America executive and California lobbyist
* Richard Dodge, Riverton resident, Republican, commercial real estate broker
* Jill Duson, North Deering resident, retired lawyer, former ceremonial mayor, at-large City Councillor and three time delegate to the Democratic Party National Convention, former Maine lobbyist
* John Eder, West End resident, former state legislator with the Maine Green Independent PartyRumors and Other Truths
West End News
* Hamza Haadoow, East Deering resident, Somalia native and small business owner.Two more candidates register for mayor’s race
''Portland Daily Sun'', June 17, 2011
* Jodie Lapchick, West End resident & marketing consultant
* David Marshall, West End resident, Maine Green Independent Party affiliated fine artist and City Councilor for the West End, downtown and Parkside neighborhoods (District 2).Marshall to announce mayoral run
''Portland Daily Sun'', March 25, 2011 Marshall was the first sitting city council member to declare his candidacy in March 2011.
* Nicholas Mavodones, Back Cove resident, Democrat, current ceremonial mayor and at-large City Councillor,First mayoral election likely to draw a crowd
ortland Press Herald November 4, 2010Time for Portland's mayoral candidates to make an appearance
''Portland Press Herald'', March 2, 2011 opposed charter change to elected mayor
* Markos Miller, Munjoy Hill resident, Served as Co-Chair of the Franklin Street Arterial Study Committee and teaches at Deering High School.
* Jed Rathband, East Bayside resident, professional PR consultant, ran the committee that campaigned for the elected mayor in 2010,Three candidates file for mayor of Portland
Portland Press Herald, January 20, 2011 worked for the now defunct Maine Green Energy Alliance, former Maine lobbyist, former PR consultant for the Olympia Companies on Maine State Pier proposalThe Bollard
December 24, 2007
* Ethan Strimling, West End resident, former State Senator with the Democratic Party, unsuccessful candidate for Portland City Council and for his party's nomination for the United States Congress in 2008
* Christopher Vail, North Deering resident, Portland firefighterMayoral hopefuls taking first step with finance forms
''Portland Daily Sun'', March 22, 2011

Write-in

* Erick Bennett, Parkside resident, Republican blogger and campaign media aide to Governor Paul LePage,Bennett steps into mayoral ring
''Portland Daily Sun'', March 22, 2011 submitted nomination papers with insufficient valid signatures, announced Write-in candidacy on August 30 pending request of petition recount with Portland City Clerk's office

Withdrawn/Failed

* Nicholas Hall, failed to submit nomination papers
* Robert Higgins, failed to submit nomination papers
* Steve Huston, homeless activist who announced candidacy but never picked up petitions
* Paul Schafer, failed to submit nomination papers
* Jay York

Results

See also

* List of mayors of Portland, Maine

References

External links

Voter Registration/Elections
Official elections & voting information published & maintained by the Portland City Clerk


a bi-weekly non-partisan column dedicated to following the mayoral race


Special coverage by Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram

Maine League of Young VotersPortland Voter Guide

Maine League of Women VotersPortland Voter Guide

Portland's Mayoral Race Begins to Take Shape
Downeast.com, June 30, 2011

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2011 Maine elections
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21st century in Portland, Maine