2011 Portland, Maine, mayoral election explained

Type:Presidential
Country:Maine
Ongoing:no
Next Election:2015 Portland, Maine, mayoral election
Next Year:2015
Election Date:November 8, 2011
1Blank:First round vote
2Blank:First round percentage
3Blank:Final round vote
4Blank:Final round percentage
Candidate1:Michael F. Brennan
Party1:Nonpartisan candidate
1Data1:5,211
2Data1:25.5%
3Data1:8,971
4Data1:55.7%
Candidate2:Ethan Strimling
1Data2:4,392
2Data2:22.3%
3Data2:7,138
4Data2:44.3%
Party2:Nonpartisan candidate
Candidate3:Nicholas Mavodones
1Data3:2,931
2Data3:14.9%
3Data3:eliminated
4Data3:eliminated
Party3:Nonpartisan candidate
Candidate4:David Marshall
1Data4:1,506
2Data4:7.6%
3Data4:eliminated
4Data4:eliminated
Party4:Nonpartisan candidate
Candidate5:Jed Rathband
1Data5:1,393
2Data5:7.0%
3Data5:eliminated
4Data5:eliminated
Party5:Nonpartisan candidate
Mayor
Before Election:Nicholas Mavodones
After Election:Michael F. Brennan

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.[1] 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,[2] be elected using instant-runoff voting,[3] and, like the rest of municipal government in Portland, be officially non-partisan.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6] Bouzrara withdrew during the petitioning process.[7]

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.[7] On October 17, the Portland Press Herald endorsed Michael Brennan.[8] On October 26, Jed Rathband received the sole endorsement from the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee.[9] On November 1, Ethan Strimling received the endorsement of John Eder.[10] On November 1, David Marshall received the endorsement of Maine Green Independent Party.[7] On November 1, Nicholas Mavodones received the endorsements of Carpenters Local 1996 and AFSCME Local 481.[11] On November 5, The Portland Daily Sun endorsed Michael Brennan.[12]

CANDIDATE Maine League of Young Voters Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce PAC Portland Ed. Assn. Portland Tomorrow Portland Press Herald Portland Daily Sun Carpenters Local 1996 AFSCME Local 481
Charles Bragdon
  1. 2
  1. 2
  1. 1
  1. 1
  1. 1
Peter Bryant
Ralph Carmona
Richard Dodge
Jill Duson
  1. 3
Hamza Haadoow
Jodie Lapchick
  1. 1
  1. 4
  1. 1
Nicholas Mavodones
  1. 1
  1. 2
  1. 1
  1. 1
Markos Miller
  1. 4
  1. 3
  1. 3
Jed Rathband
  1. 5
  1. 1
  1. 4
Christopher Vail

Candidates

On the ballot

Write-in

Withdrawn/Failed

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/why-portland-doesnt-have-an-elected-mayor_2010-09-27.html?searchterm=abraham+peck Maine Voices | Why Portland doesn't have an elected mayor by Abraham Peck
  2. http://www.portlandmaine.gov/citycode/chapter000.pdf Portland City Charter
  3. http://www.portlandvoters.com/rankchoicevoting.pdf Ranked Choice Voting
  4. http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2010/11/03/portland_maine_to_get_popularly_elected_mayor/ Portland, Maine, to get popularly elected mayor
  5. http://www.pressherald.com/news/four-gone-15-left-field-for-mayor-now-fits-in-a-van_2011-08-31.html Four gone 15 left: Field for Portland mayor now fits in a van
  6. http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-portland-Mayoral-candidate-held-for-violating-probation.html Mayoral candidate held for violating probation
  7. http://www.thewestendnews.com/MayorWatch2011.html Mayor Watch 2011
  8. http://www.pressherald.com/special/portland_mayor_election_2011/for-portland-mayor-brennan-gets-our-vote_2011-10-16.html Our View: For Portland mayor, Brennan gets our vote
  9. http://www.portlandregion.com/content/portland-chamber-political-action-committee-endorses-rathband-mayor Portland Chamber Political Action Committee Endorses Rathband for Mayor
  10. http://portlanddailysun.me/news/story/eder-endorses-strimling Eder endorses Strimling
  11. http://portlanddailysun.me/news/story/mavodones-picks-more-labor-support Mavodones gets more labor endorsements
  12. http://portlanddailysun.me/opinion/story/endorsement Endorsement
  13. http://www.portlandmaine.gov/voter/nominationpapers.pdf Nomination Papers
  14. http://portland.thephoenix.com/news/112153-whos-running-for-mayor-yes-already/?page=1#TOPCONTENT Who’s running for mayor? (Yes, already!)
  15. Web site: Charles Bragdon - City Council District 1 — The League of Young Voters . 2011-05-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111002225841/http://theleague.com/me/charles-bragdon-city-council-district-1 . 2011-10-02 . dead .
  16. http://www.pressherald.com/news/Former-legislator-expected-to-announce-bid-for-mayor.html Former legislator expected to announce bid for mayor
  17. http://portlanddailysun.me/news/story/lulac-leader-ponders-mayoral-bid LULAC leader ponders mayoral bid
  18. http://portlanddailysun.me/node/27723/18808 Portland mayoral field expected to sort itself out
  19. Web site: Board of Visitors biography . 2011-01-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101105082724/http://www.usm.maine.edu/bov/duson_jill.html . 2010-11-05 . dead .
  20. http://www.mainecampaignfinance.com/Public/Lobbyist_profile.asp?ID=94 Lobbyist Profile Jill Duson
  21. http://www.thewestendnews.com/files/WEN_2-12-11.pdf Rumors and Other Truths
  22. http://portlanddailysun.me/featured/story/two-more-candidates-register-mayor%E2%80%99s-race Two more candidates register for mayor’s race
  23. http://www.pressherald.com/news/Local--State-Dispatches-April-12-2011.html Lapchick becomes seventh to file as mayoral candidate
  24. http://portlanddailysun.me/news/story/marshall-announce-mayoral-run Marshall to announce mayoral run
  25. http://www.pressherald.com/news/first-mayoral-election-likely-to-draw-a-crowd_2010-11-04.html?searchterm=mayor+ First mayoral election likely to draw a crowd
  26. http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/time-for-portlands-mayoral-candidates-to-make-an-appearance_2011-03-02.html Time for Portland's mayoral candidates to make an appearance
  27. http://www.pressherald.com/news/Mavodones-enters-Portland-mayors-race.html Mavodones enters Portland mayors race
  28. http://www.portlandmaine.gov/franklinstreetarterial.htm#members
  29. http://www.pressherald.com/news/Another-candidate-announces-for-position-of-Portlands-elected-mayor.html Another candidate announces for position of Portland's elected mayor
  30. http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-portland-mayor-candidate-rathband.html Three candidates file for mayor of Portland
  31. http://www.timesrecord.com/articles/2011/02/08/news/doc4d5092a7c7cb3567461573.txt By Naomi Schalit, Senior reporter, Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting
  32. http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/maine-green-energy-allianceprobe-finds-no-signs-of-fraud_2011-08-22.html Probe finds mismanagement, but no fraud at Maine Green Energy Alliance
  33. http://www.mainecampaignfinance.com/Public/Lobbyist_profile.asp?ID=308 Lobbyist Profile Jed Rathband
  34. http://www.thebollard.com/bollard/?p=3350 The Bollard
  35. http://portlanddailysun.me/news/story/mayoral-hopefuls-taking-first-step-finance-forms Mayoral hopefuls taking first step with finance forms
  36. http://portlanddailysun.me/featured/story/bennett-steps-mayoral-ring Bennett steps into mayoral ring