City Council, school board races get interesting
Two Peaks Island secession opponents take out papers
By Chris Busby
This year’s campaigns for three seats on the Portland City Council and three Portland School Committee seats are shaping up, as candidates take out nomination papers to appear on the Nov. 7 ballot. Among the interesting developments….
• Mavourneen Thompson has taken out papers to run for the District 1 school board seat held by her husband, Otis Thompson, who is not seeking another term. District 1 includes the East End, Bayside, much of downtown Portland and the islands in Casco Bay that are still part of the city. The Thompsons live on Peaks Island, which may secede from the city next year. Should Thompson, an opponent of secession, win this fall’s election, she could not continue to sit on the Portland School Committee as a resident of another town. She would have to move to Portland to continue her term. Thompson could not be reached for comment. Her only opponent so far is environmental educator and Munjoy Hill resident Rebecca Minnick. (Would-be candidates still have several weeks to take out nomination papers and submit the required signatures.)
• Part-time islander and secession opponent Kirk Goodhue intends to run for the City Council seat representing District 1. Goodhue recently made his apartment on Federal Street his permanent, legal address, so secession would not affect his ability to serve. Goodhue owns Port Island Realty; this is his first run for public office. Incumbent c0uncilor Will Gorham is seeking a second term, and if successful, is expected to be chosen to serve as Portland’s next mayor. His other challengers are Kevin Donoghue and David E. Bouthilette. Donoghue – who recently moved a few doors down from Gorham on North Street – chairs the Portland Green Independent Party, and has been an active critic of city government. Bouthilette, of Cumberland Avenue, works for Catholic Charities of Maine, and volunteers with organizations seeking to raise awareness of mental illness and help those who suffer from it.
• The race for the one at-large school board seat up for grabs this year has attracted five strong candidates. The field includes former planning board chair Jaimey Caron, parent-activist Sarah Thompson, Green artist Kevin Gardella and former school board member Teri McRae. Add to that list Peter Eglinton, an active parent with significant economic and public policy experience. In an e-mail, Eglinton said he previously served as a policy analyst with the federal Office of Management and Budget.
• A challenger has emerged in the District 2 (West End and Parkside) race. Incumbent Stephen Spring is being challenged by Robert O’Brien, current president of the West End Neighborhood Association. A graduate student at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service, O’Brien is making his first run for public office.
The remaining municipal races are for the District 2 council seat held by incumbent Karen Geraghty and the at-large council seat held by Nick Mavodones. As we reported in April, Geraghty is being challenged by West End artist David Marshall and Mavodones is being challenged by neighborhood activist Christina Feller, of Munjoy Hill.
David Margolis-Pineo is the sole candidate thus far seeking the seat on the Portland Water District’s Board of Trustees this fall.
Candidates for district races must collect 75 signatures from voters registered in their district; at-large candidates need 300 signatures from registered Portland voters. Those signatures must be submitted by the first week in September.
