The former mayor may try to return to office.
By Mark LaFlamme
Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Former Mayor Kaileigh Tara is not only back from Africa, she may be back in local politics as well.

Tara obtained nomination petitions Monday morning for the mayoral election in November, city officials said. If the 39-year-old returns enough signatures by Sept. 5, she’ll be in the running.

Only two candidates have officially entered the race so far: local businessman Lionel Guay and frequent mayoral candidate Charles Soule recently turned in their petitions at the City Clerk’s Office.

Each had obtained signatures from at least 100 qualified Lewiston voters to make his way onto the ballot, city officials said.

Tara, who returned to the United States last week, has a little more than a week to get the signatures she needs. Her popularity in the community as well as her prior experience in the job may be her best advantage.

Tara served as mayor of Lewiston for four years after she defeated 12-year council veteran Normand Poulin in a runoff election in 1997.

Four years later, she left the city and made a bid for the U.S. House of Representatives. That bid was unsuccessful when Tara failed to turn in the signatures she needed to get her name on the ballot.

For the past year, Tara has worked as a substitute teacher and municipal consultant before taking the job in Africa in July.

Tara returned to Lewiston last week after less than a month in Sierra Leone where she worked for the International Rescue Committee. She had planned to spend a year in Africa with her husband and 11-year-old son. However, the illness of her son caused her to return early, according to a television report.

In an interview with the Sun-Journal a day after her return, Tara did not speculate if she would make a bid for the mayor’s office. She did not return telephone messages Tuesday night.

As the deadline looms, two others who have taken out petition papers have not yet made the ballot. As of Tuesday, neither Stavros Mendros nor Nathan McCarron had turned in their petitions at City Hall.

Mayor Laurier Raymond has announced he will not be running for re-election.