LEWISTON – Less than a week after Mayor Larry Raymond announced he will not seek re-election, Stavros Mendros stepped forward to suggest he may want the job.

It was announced in a press release Monday afternoon that Mendros may make a run for the mayor’s position this fall.

“I’m very interested,” Mendros stated in the release. “There seems to be a lot of support and I want to talk to a few more people.”

Mendros said he plans to make a decision about his run for mayor by the first of July.

Mendros has already served in a number of local and state political positions and he has run for others. What prompted him to announce a possible bid for the mayor’s position on Memorial Day was not known.

“He’s away enjoying the holiday right now but he’ll be around,” said Andrew Csoros, a Minot man named in the press release as Stavros’ communication director. “I tend to think he has a lot to offer the City of Lewiston.”

The flamboyant Lewiston native – known more at times for his choice in ties than his political stances – served four years in the Maine Legislature before stepping down to run for U.S. Congress.

The news on Monday did not surprise Lewiston City Councilor Marc Mason, who said he expects more people to step forward soon to announce plans to run for mayor. Mendros was one of those expected to throw his hat in the ring, Mason said.

“I think we’ll have a variety of candidates,” Mason said. “It will be very interesting come November.”

Locally, Mendros serves on the Salvation Army advisory board, served nine years on the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church parish council.

Last August, he was elected to the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Union Board of Directors as a representative to the United States. The union consists of elected officials of Greek descent from more than 50 nations around the world.

Local doctor Ronald Chicoine was named in the press release as the head of Mendros’ exploratory committee.

“I know he loves this city and I know we need his strong and dynamic leadership if we are to foster an economy that builds our business base, allowing for lower taxes without sacrificing our great quality of life,” Chicoine said.

He was expected to contact other community leaders in the next few weeks as Mendros ponders his run for the position.

“In the Legislature, Mendros built a reputation as a critic of government waste and bureaucracy,” Chicoine said.