LEWISTON — The deadlines for filing nomination papers to run for elected office in both Lewiston and Auburn are quickly approaching, and the final field of candidates is taking shape.
City clerks on both sides of the river are letting citizens know as the November elections approach, especially as this year will see all municipal seats up for grabs, including a new mayor in both cities.
Robert Macdonald in Lewiston and Jonathan LaBonte in Auburn are both on their way out. A number of city councilors and School Committee members have also announced they will not run for re-election.
Kathy Montejo, city clerk in Lewiston, said that her office typically gets a surge of interest when papers first become available, and then another surge as the deadline looms.
“We wanted to try to get ahead of that last minute rush a bit by reminding residents that papers are available, about the seats that are up, and about the seats where no one has pulled papers yet,” she said.
There is only one seat remaining in Lewiston where no one has pulled papers — School Commitee Ward 6 — but many who have taken out papers for other seats have also not yet returned them or been verified.
The same can be said for Auburn, where the deadline is only a week away.
“It seems to be going a bit slower in Auburn this year compared to past years, although there is still time,” Auburn City Clerk Sue Clements-Dallaire said.
She said some people who have taken out papers haven’t returned them yet, while there are still a few seats that no one has taken out papers for.
“So, unless more people take out (and) return their papers, it looks like most seats will be uncontested,” she said.
Councilors Bob Stone and Grady Burns have already announced they are not seeking re-election, and Ward 4 Councilor Adam Lee is running for mayor.
In Lewiston, completed nomination papers must be filed with the City Clerk’s office no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8. Candidates for mayor must have signatures from at least 100 registered voters. City Council candidates must have at least 50 signatures.
Completed papers are due back earlier in Auburn, by 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24. The same number of signatures are required by candidates in Auburn.
In Lewiston, there’s also the potential for significant turnover. Councilors Michael Lachance and Isobel Golden aren’t running, and Shane Bouchard has yet to decide.
On Wednesday, Ward 2 Councilor Tim Lajoie also announced he is not seeking re-election to a second term, citing “professional conflicts and time demands as the primary reason.”
The municipal election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 7.
The following is a list of who has taken out papers to run for elected office in Lewiston and Auburn this November. Some candidates have already returned their nomination papers, and the signatures have been verified. Both cities are updating the lists weekly online.
LEWISTON
Mayor: Mark Cayer (verified), Charles Soule (verified), Ron Potvin, Ben Chin (verified), Donna Gillespie
Council Ward 1: James Lysen (verified)
Council Ward 2: Zach Pettengill
Council Ward 3: Alicia Rea (verified), David Neilsen Jr.
Council Ward 4: Michel A. Lajoie
Council Ward 5: Jason Lavoie, Kristen Cloutier (verified)
Council Ward 6: Joline Beam
Council Ward 7: Thomas Shannon
School Committee At-Large: Megan Parks
School Committee Ward 1: Renee Courtemanche (verified), Walter Hill, Ahmed Sheikh
School Committee Ward 2: Monique Roy (verified)
School Committee Ward 3: Francis Gagnon
School Committee Ward 4: Tanya Estabrook
School Committee Ward 5: Luke Jensen, Hassan Abdi
School Committee Ward 6: None
School Committee Ward 7: Tina Hutchinson (verified)
AUBURN
Mayor: Adam Lee (verified), Jason Levesque (verified)
Council Ward 1: Robert Mennealy, Holly Lasagna (verified)
Council Ward 2: Robert Hayes (verified), Robert Stone
Council Ward 3: Andrew Titus (verified)
Council Ward 4: Alfreda Fournier
Council Ward 5: Edward Campbell, Dustin Miles, Robert Sevigny, Leroy Walker (verified), R. Wayne Werts
Council At-Large (two are elected): Edward Campbell, Belinda Gerry, Robert Hayes, R. Wayne Werts (verified), David Young (verified)
School Committee Ward 1: Robert Mennealy
School Committee Ward 2: Bonnie Hayes (verified)
School Committee Ward 3: Thomas Kendall (verified)
School Committee Ward 4: None
School Committee Ward 5: Daniel Poisson Sr.
School Committee Ward At-Large: Patricia Gautier
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