LEWISTON – Just two weeks into the 2003 election season, the campaign for mayor was already heating up Tuesday.

Four candidates had taken out petitions to be put on the ballot for the mayor’s job. The petitions became available July 7.

Twelve other people have taken out petitions for the 15 remaining positions on the City Council and School Committee.

That’s just about right for mid-July, said City Clerk Kathy Montejo. Candidates have until Sept. 5 to collect signatures.

“They have a good month and a half to go,” Montejo said. “Most people’s minds are still in summer vacation mode, but they usually start to think about elections by the time Labor Day rolls around.”

The four people circulating nominations for the mayor’s job are: Lionel Guay of 318 East Ave., who announced his candidacy in May; Nathan R. McCarron of 35 Fairlawn Ave.; Charles Soule of 170 Bartlett St.; and Stavros Mendros of 14 Judkins Ave.

Mayor Larry Raymond has announced he will not seek re-election.

Mendros also has taken out a petition for the Ward 1 council seat being vacated by Roger Philippon. Mendros can only submit petitions for one of the positions, according to the City Clerk’s Office. School Committee member John T. Butler of 20 Ware St. has also taken out nomination paperwork for that position.

Incumbent councilors in wards 2, 3, 6 and 7 have taken out nomination petitions seeking reelection. Councilor Renee Bernier, Lillian O’Brien, Mark Paradis and Norm Rousseau have all signaled their intention to seek another term.

Ward 5 Councilor Mark Mason said he planned to pick up his nomination papers Tuesday afternoon. Councilor Ron Jean had not picked up petitions and could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

David A. Vincent of 32 Ware St., so far is the only person to take petitions seeking the Ward 1 School Committee seat. If elected, he would replace Butler.

School Committee incumbents have all taken out applications to fill six of the remaining seven seats. They are: Ward 2 representative Laurier Lachance of 29 Fairlawn Ave.; Ward 3 representative Dennis Grafflin of 40 Jefferson Ave.; Ward 4 representative James Handy of 9 Maplewood Road; Ward 6 representative Ronella Paradis of 144 River Road; Ward 7 representative Richard Bernier; and at-large representative Paul St. Pierre of 4 Swale Lane. No one had taken out a petition for the Ward 5 School Committee seat.

Candidates for the mayor’s chair must collect signatures from at least 100 qualified Lewiston voters by the Sept. 5 deadline. Candidates for the City Council and the School Committee must collect signatures from 50 registered voters from their ward.

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