Political career
Sheriff
Dion,a Democrat,was elected Sheriff of Cumberland County,Maine,in 1998. Dion was criticized during his 2002 campaign for using a county credit card and attending law school. [4] After being re-elected in 2002 and 2006,Dion chose not to seek re-election as Sheriff in 2010.
Legislature
Rather than seek re-election as sheriff,he successfully sought a seat in the Maine House of Representatives. In 2013,Dion was named Chair of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. [3] In March 2015,while a member of the House,Dion announced that he would sponsor legislation to make marijuana legal. [5] In 2016,he was elected to the Maine Senate,where he served one term.
Portland City Council and Mayor of Portland
In 2020,he won a seat on the Portland City Council after a four-way race where he won 39% of the vote. [7] In June 2023,Dion announced his intention to run for mayor of Portland. [8] During his campaign,he promised to continue supporting a policy of forcibly removing homeless people from public spaces,stating “The sweeps will continue.”Incumbent mayor Kate Snyder,herself the former Executive Director of the Maine Department of Corrections,endorsed Dion. [9] He won the election on November 7,2023,earning 39.6% in the first round and earning 51.5% in the ranked-choice runoff. The Maine Morning Star described Dion as "Portland's version of a law-and-order candidate." [10] He was sworn in on December 4. [1]
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