2019 Portland, Maine, mayoral election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Portland, Maine, held an election for mayor on November 5, 2019.[1] It was the third election to be held since Portland voters approved a citywide referendum changing the city charter to recreate an elected mayor position in 2010.[2]
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November 5, 2019
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Kate Snyder, the newly citizen-elected mayor, won a four-year term in the full-time position, and will exercise the powers and duties enumerated in Article II Section 5 of the Portland City Charter.[3] She was elected using ranked choice voting.[4] With rest of the elected municipal government in Portland, the post is officially non-partisan.[5] Incumbent Mayor Ethan Strimling running for re-election,[6] was challenged by city councilor Spencer Thibodeau, former Portland School Board Chair Kate Snyder and East End resident Travis Curran.[7]
Every candidate running for mayor in the heavily Democratic city was a registered member of the Maine Democratic Party.
Candidates
Declared
- Travis Curran, waiter, East End resident[7]
- Kate Snyder, nonprofit executive, former Chair of the Portland School Board, Oakdale resident[8]
- Ethan Strimling, incumbent mayor, West End resident[6]
- Spencer Thibodeau, real estate lawyer, City Councilor for District 2, Parkside resident[9]
Failed to qualify for ballot
Withdrawn
Campaign
Endorsements
Belinda Ray (withdrawn)
Individuals
- Jill Duson, Portland City Councilor, former Mayor of Portland[14]
Kate Snyder
Ethan Strimling
Governors
- John Baldacci, Governor of Maine (2003–2011), member of the United States House of Representatives (1995–2003)[18]
Mayors
- Alan Casavant, Mayor of Biddeford[19]
- Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, candidate for President in 2020[20]
- Marston Lovell, Mayor of Saco[19]
- Claude Morgan, Mayor of South Portland[19]
- David Rollins, Mayor of Augusta[19]
- Michael Sanphy, Mayor of Westbrook[19]
State legislators
- Benjamin Collings, State Representative[19]
- Annette Hoglund, former State Representative[19]
- Christopher Kessler, State Representative[19]
- Anne Rand, former State Senator[19]
- John G. Richardson, former State Representative, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives[19]
- Diane Russell, former State Representative, candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018[19]
- Mike Sylvester, State Representative[21]
- Gerald Talbot, former State Representative, first African-American elected official in Maine history[19]
- Rachel Talbot Ross, State Representative[18]
- Eliza Townsend, former State Representative[19]
- Charlotte Warren, State Representative[19]
Municipal officials
- Pious Ali, Portland City Councilor[19]
- Marshall Archer, Saco City Councilor[18]
- Tim Atkinson, Member of the Portland Board of Education[19]
- Deqa Dhalac, South Portland City Councilor[19]
- Emily Figdor, Member of the Portland Board of Education[6]
- Thomas Kane, former Mayor of Portland (1998–1999)[22]
- Micky Bondo M'bambi, Member of the Portland Board of Education[19]
- Marianne Morrione, Member of the Portland Board of Education[6]
- Roberto Rodriguez, Chair of the Portland Board of Education[19]
- Nasir Shir, Member of the Cape Elizabeth School Board[18]
Other individuals
- El Hadi Adam, President of the Sudanese Community of Portland[18]
- Papy Bongibo, President of the Congolese Community of Portland[18]
- Mark Dion, candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018, former State Representative, former State Senator, former Cumberland County Sheriff[18]
- John Eder, former State Representative, former Portland Board of Education member[19]
- Mahmoud Hassan, President of the Somali Community of Portland[18]
- Nsiona Nguizani, President of the Angolan Community of Portland[18]
- John Ochira, President of the South Sudanese Community of Portland[18]
- Diane Russell, candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018, former State Representative[18]
- Betsy Sweet, candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018 and candidate for US Senate in 2020[23]
Organizations
Trade unions
- Communications Workers of America[18]
- International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers[18]
- International Association of Fire Fighters[24]
- International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers[18]
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers[18]
- International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers[18]
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers[18]
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers[18]
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters[18]
- International Longshoremen's Association[18]
- International Union of Elevator Constructors[18]
- International Union of Operating Engineers[18]
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades[18]
- Laborers' International Union of North America[18]
- Maine AFL–CIO[18]
- Maine Lobstering Union[18]
- Maine State Building and Trades Council[18]
- Portland Education Association[18]
- Southern Maine Labor Council[25]
- United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters[18]
- United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America[18]
- United Steelworkers[18]
- United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers[18]
Spencer Thibodeau
Former Portland mayors
- Michael F. Brennan, State Representative (1992–2000; 2018–present), former State Senator (2002–2006), former Mayor of Portland (2011–2015)[22]
- Jim Cohen, former Mayor of Portland (2005–2006)[22]
- Philip J. "Jack" Dawson, former Mayor of Portland (1986–1987; 1995–1996)[22]
- Karen Geraghty, former Mayor of Portland (2001–2002)[22]
- Cheryl Leeman, former Mayor of Portland (2000–2001)[22]
- Pamela Plumb, former Mayor of Portland (1981–1982)[22]
- Anne B. Pringle, former Mayor of Portland (1993–1994)[22]
- Nathan Smith, former Mayor of Portland (2003–2004)[22]
City councilors
- Brian Batson, Portland City Councilor[15]
- Justin Costa, Portland City Councilor (also endorsed Snyder)[12]
- Jill Duson, Portland City Councilor, former Mayor of Portland[15]
- Nicholas Mavodones, Portland City Councilor, former Mayor of Portland[15]
- Belinda Ray, Portland City Councilor [15]
Other individuals
- Mark Balfantz, Member of the Portland Board of Education[26][better source needed]
- Richard Farnsworth, State Representative[26]
- Anne Haskell, former State Senator[26]
- Jon Hinck, former State Representative, former Portland City Councilor[26]
Organizations
- Portland Police Benevolent Association[24]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Travis Curran |
Kate Snyder |
Ethan Strimling |
Spencer Thibodeau |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change Research[27] | October 4–6, 2019 | 347 | ±5% | 5% | 24% | 29% | 29% |
Results
The official election results were:[28]
| Portland, Maine mayoral election, 2019 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | ||||||
| Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | |||
| Non-partisan | Kate Snyder | 7,119 | 39.33% | + 458 | 7,577 | 42.08% | + 2,883 | 10,460 | 61.89% | |
| Non-partisan | Spencer Thibodeau | 5,110 | 28.23% | + 164 | 5,274 | 29.29% | + 1,168 | 6,442 | 38.11% | |
| Non-partisan | Ethan Strimling | 4,575 | 25.28% | + 580 | 5,155 | 28.63% | - 5,155 | Eliminated | ||
| Non-partisan | Travis Curran | 1,296 | 7.16% | - 1,296 | Eliminated | |||||
| Total votes | 16,902 | 100.0% | ||||||||