Portland City Council (Maine)

Last updated
City Hall in September 2011 Portland City Hall Night.jpg
City Hall in September 2011

The legislative branch of Portland, Maine, is a city council. It is a nine seat council, composed of representatives from the city's five districts, three councilors elected citywide and the full-time elected Mayor of Portland. The eight councilors are elected for three-year terms, while the Mayor is elected for a four-year term.

Contents

The council is officially non-partisan, though councilors are often known for their political party affiliation.

In 1923, the city transitioned from a Mayor–council government to a Council–manager government. This was in alignment with national trends in metropolitan governments, and also partially motivated by the influence of the Maine Ku Klux Klan, which resented what was perceived as the growing power of ethnic and religious minorities. [1] In 2011 the city charter was changed to allow an election for mayor again in 2011. Subsequent elections were held in 2015, 2019 and 2023. As of the 2023 election, since the new

In 2020, voters approved a proposal to switch elections for City Council and school board to ranked-choice elections.

In 2022, voters approved a proposal to switch elections for City Council to Proportional Rank Choice Voting.

The Portland City Council meets at Portland City Hall, an historic 1909 building on Congress Street.

Current Councilors

Current Council

  1. Mayor: Mark Dion elected in the 2023 election (since 2023)
  2. District 1: Anna Trevorrow (since 2021)
  3. District 2: Victoria Pelletier (since 2021)
  4. District 3: Regina Phillips (since 2022)
  5. District 4: Anna Bullett (since 2023)
  6. District 5: Kate Sykes (since 2023)
  7. At-Large: Pious Ali, (since 2016)
  8. At-Large: April Fournier (since 2020)
  9. At-Large: Roberto Rodríguez (since 2021)

Mayor: Mark Dion

Mark Dion is an American politician, law enforcement officer, and lawyer. A former detective in the Portland Police Department, he was the elected sheriff of Cumberland County from 1998–2010. He served in the Maine House of Representatives from 2010–2016. While in the legislature, Dion advocated for marijuana legalization. [2] Dion ran for Governor of Maine in 2018, placing fifth in the Democratic Party primary. [3] In 2020, he was elected to the Portland City Council from the fifth district with 39% of the vote in a four-way race. In 2023, he announced that he would run for mayor later that year, and was elected over District 4 councilor Andrew Zarro, at-large councilor Pious Ali, and three other candidates.

District 1: Anna Trevorrow

Anna Trevorrow, a member of the Maine Green Independent Party, [4] is a former member of the Portland Board of Education from 2013 to 2021, and was elected to her first term on the city council in 2021. [5]

District 2: Victoria Pelletier

A native of Brunswick, Pelletier is a racial equity and economic development coordinator at the Greater Portland Council of Governments. [6] She was elected to her first term in 2021 by eighteen points. [7]

District 3: Regina Phillips

Regina Phillips is an adjunct professor of social work at the University of Southern Maine. She is the daughter of Gerald Talbot, who was the first African American elected to the Maine House of Representatives. Her sister, Rachel Talbot Ross, is a member of the Maine House of Representatives and is the current Speaker of the House. Phillips was elected to her first term in 2022. [8]

District 4: Anna Bullett

Anna Bullett is the director of health and nutrition programs at The Opportunity Alliance, which works with low-income people in Cumberland County. A native of Auburn, she was elected to her first term in 2023. [9] [10]

District 5: Kate Sykes

Kathryn "Kate" Sykes is the former co-chair of the Maine branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, and remains a member of the organization. [11] She was a candidate for this seat in 2020, finishing as runner up to future Mayor Mark Dion. She was elected to the council in 2023 by a 57–43 margin. [10] She is a writer by profession.

At-Large: Pious Ali

Pious Ali is the first Ghanaian American to be elected into any public office in the United States and the first Muslim to be elected to any office in Maine. Elected to the council in 2016 after serving one term (3 years) on the City's Board of Public Education 2013–2016. He won his race by 62% in a three-way race to replace the incumbent Jon Hinck. He was re-elected in 2019, and 2022 re-elected a third time in 2022. [8] He finished third in Portland's 2023 Mayoral election. Ali worked at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service. He is an alumnus of the Institute for Civic Leadership (now known as Lift360), and in 2015, was named Lift360’s Most Distinguished Alumnus. A native of Ghana, Ali immigrated to the United States in 2000, and has lived in Portland since 2008.

At-Large: April Fournier

Elected to the council in 2020, April Fournier is Diné and a native of New Mexico who previously worked for Unum. She is the National Program Director of Advance Native Political Leadership, [12] and is the first Indigenous person elected to the Portland City Council. [13] She was re-elected in 2023. [10]

At-Large: Roberto Rodríguez

Roberto Rodríguez is a native of Puerto Rico who previously served on the City's Board of Public Education and owns a garden supply company. He was elected in 2022 by 35 votes after a recount, with election night returns initially showing an exactly tied race. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland, Maine</span> Largest city in Maine, United States

Portland is a city in the U.S. state of Maine. It is the most populous city in the state and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area has a population of approximately 550,000 people. Historically tied to commercial shipping, the marine economy, and light industry, Portland's economy in the 21st century relies mostly on the service sector. The Port of Portland is the second-largest tonnage seaport in the New England area as of 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Eder</span> American politician

John Eder is an American activist and politician from Maine. Eder, a Democrat, lives in Biddeford. He is a former member of the Maine Green Independent Party, the Maine affiliate of the national Green Party. He served in the Maine House of Representatives as the legislature's first member of the Green Party for two terms and was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2004. Until his defeat in 2006 Eder was one of only a handful of independent or third party state legislators in the country and was the highest-ranking elected Green official in the United States. Eder ran for Mayor of Portland, Maine in 2011. In 2014, Eder won a race for an at-large seat on the Portland Board of Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maine Green Independent Party</span> Maine affiliate of the Green Party

The Maine Green Independent Party is a state-level political party affiliated with the Green Party of the United States. It is the oldest state green party in the United States. It was founded following an informal meeting of 17 environmental advocates, including Bowdoin College professor John Rensenbrink and others in Augusta, Maine in January 1984. From 1994 to 2006, the party's gubernatorial nominees received between 6% and 10% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael F. Brennan</span> American politician

Michael F. Brennan is an American politician who formerly served as the 87th Mayor of Portland, Maine. Brennan, a Democrat, served as State Senator from 2002 to 2006 and Senate Majority Leader and a 2008 Democratic candidate for Maine's 1st congressional district. On May 15, 2011 Brennan announced his candidacy in the Portland, Maine mayoral election. On November 9, Brennan won the 15-candidate contest and became the first directly-elected mayor of Portland since 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethan Strimling</span> American politician

Ethan King Strimling is an American non-profit executive, television personality, and politician from Maine. Strimling was elected to 3 terms in the Maine Senate (2003-2009), one term a Mayor of Portland, Maine (2015-2019), serving one term. Strimling previously served as a Democratic state senator from 2003 to 2009. He was the Executive Director of LearningWorks, a West End non-profit organization, and has served as a political columnist and commentator for the Portland Press Herald.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranked-choice voting in the United States</span> Electoral system used in some cities and states

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) can refer to one of several ranked voting methods used in some cities and states in the United States. The term is not strictly defined, but most often refers to instant-runoff voting (IRV) or single transferable vote (STV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Maine gubernatorial election</span>

The 2010 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010 to elect the governor of Maine. Incumbent Democratic governor John Baldacci was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third consecutive term. Primary elections took place on June 8, 2010. The candidates who appeared on the November ballot were : Eliot Cutler (Independent), Paul LePage (Republican), Libby Mitchell (Democratic), Shawn Moody (Independent), and Kevin Scott (Independent).

Jon Paul Jennings is an American city manager, politician and basketball coach. He formerly served as city manager of Portland, Maine, and Clearwater, Florida. He was also the founder, president, and general manager of the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Portland, Maine, mayoral election</span>

Portland, Maine, held an election for mayor on November 8, 2011.

Edward "Ed" J. Suslovic is an American politician and former member of the Portland, Maine City Council. Suslovic, a Democrat, previously represented part of Portland in the Maine House of Representatives from 2002 to 2004 and served as the ceremonial mayor of Portland from 2007 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Dion (politician)</span> American politician, law enforcement officer and lawyer

Mark N. Dion is an American politician, law enforcement officer and lawyer from Maine, who has served as Mayor of Portland since December 4, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Maine gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018 to elect the governor of Maine. It occurred along with elections for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor Paul LePage was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third consecutive term; he later unsuccessfully sought a third term in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Portland, Maine, mayoral election</span>

Portland, Maine, held an election for mayor on November 3, 2015. It was the second election since Portland voters approved a citywide referendum changing the city charter to recreate an elected mayor position in 2010.

Jill Duson is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and politician from Portland, Maine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Portland, Maine, mayoral election</span>

Portland, Maine, held an election for mayor on November 5, 2019. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Talbot Ross</span> American politician from Maine

Rachel Talbot Ross is an American politician and activist. A Democrat from Portland, Talbot has been the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives since December 2022. When she was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2016, Talbot Ross became the first Black woman to serve in the Maine Legislature. Talbot Ross represents District 40, consisting of the Parkside, Bayside, East Bayside, and Oakdale neighborhoods of Portland as well as the University of Southern Maine campus. She became Maine's first African-American House Speaker, and the highest-ranking African-American politician in Maine history, when she was elected speaker on December 7, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Snyder</span> Non-profit executive and politician from Maine, USA

Katherine Merchant Snyder is an American politician who served as Mayor of Portland, Maine from 2019 until 2023. Prior to her election as mayor, she served as executive director of the Portland Education Foundation, a non-profit which raised funds for Portland Public Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 United States elections</span>

The 2023 United States elections were held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. The off-year election included gubernatorial and state legislative elections in a few states, as well as numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot. At least three special elections to the United States Congress were scheduled as either deaths or vacancies arose. The Democratic Party retained control of the governorship in Kentucky, flipped the Wisconsin Supreme Court and held a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, gained six seats in the New Jersey General Assembly, and won back unified control of the Virginia General Assembly, while Republicans also flipped the governorship in Louisiana and narrowly retained Mississippi's governorship. The election cycle also saw Ohio voting to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and legalize cannabis for recreational use. The results were widely seen as a success for the Democratic Party.

Deqa Dhalac is a member of the Maine House of Representatives for the 120th District. A Somali emigrant, she served as the mayor of South Portland, Maine from 2021 to 2022, becoming the first African-born female mayor in the United States. Alongside Mana Abdi, she is the first Somali-American to serve as a Maine legislator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Portland, Maine mayoral election</span>

The 2023 Portland, Maine mayoral election was held on November 7, 2023, to elect the mayor of Portland, Maine.

References

  1. ↑ Peck, Abraham. "Maine Voices: Why Portland doesn't have an elected mayor". Portland Press Herald . Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  2. ↑ Writer, Gillian GrahamStaff (31 March 2015). "Former sheriff plans push to legalize marijuana in Maine". Press Herald.
  3. ↑ Cousins, Christopher (October 12, 2017). "Former Maine sheriff enters race for governor as a Democrat". Bangor Daily News . Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  4. ↑ Viles, Chance (2021-10-05). "District 1 Portland council hopefuls propose solutions to housing crunch". Press Herald. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  5. ↑ Hoey, Dennis (2021-11-03). "Close Portland City Council race headed to Wednesday morning runoff". Press Herald. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  6. ↑ "These progressive local candidates say they are living Maine's affordable housing crisis - Maine Beacon". 2021-11-01. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  7. ↑ "New progressive majority in Portland puts major reforms on the table - Maine Beacon". 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  8. 1 2 Cohen, Lana (2022-11-10). "Incumbent Pious Ali wins City Council at-large race, newcomers take District 3 City Council and school board seats". Press Herald. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  9. ↑ Benninghoff, Grace (2023-10-18). "Two political newcomers vie for District 4 Portland City Council seat". Press Herald. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  10. 1 2 3 Bouchard, Kelley; Benninghoff, Grace (2023-11-08). "Fournier, Bullett and Sykes win Portland City Council races". Press Herald. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  11. ↑ Benninghoff, Grace (2023-10-19). "Candidates for Portland City Council District 5 seat look to housing as top issue". Press Herald. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  12. ↑ "April Fournier". Advance Native Political Leadership. 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  13. ↑ "Meet April". April Fournier for Portland City Council At Large. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  14. ↑ Schroeder, Nick (2021-11-10). "Roberto Rodriguez officially wins Portland's at-large City Council race". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.