PORTLAND — When the 4:30 p.m. deadline expired today to get onto the November ballot, 16 mayoral candidates had handed in signatures to become the city’s first popularly elected mayor in 88 years.
Of those 16, 13 had their signatures verified by late this afternoon. Christopher Vail, Ethan Strimling, Jed Rathband, Markos Miller, Nicholas Mavodones, David Marshall, Jodie Lapchick, Hamza Haadoow, John Eder, Jill Duson, Ralph Carmona, Peter Bryant and Michael Brennan will all be on the November ballot, the city’s clerk’s office said.
The clerk must still verify the signatures for Erick Bennet, Charles Bragdon and Richard Dodge – the final three candidates.
Dodge was the last candidate to submit signatures. At about 4:20 p.m. today, he hustled up the steps to City Hall and and handed in about 400 signatures, he said. Candidates need at least 300 valid signatures to get on the ballot.
“It’s amazing how many people I know in Portland don’t actually live here,” Dodge semi-joked, explaining the difficulty in getting signatures. “Overall, it was a good experience. I got to meet and talk with a lot of new people.”
Now the real fun begins. Candidates must begin giving more details about their various policy stances. The Portland Club will host a “Candidate Night” on Sept. 6, at which the public can talk with the candidates. Each candidate will also give a short speech.
And on Sept. 8, the League of Young Voters will host “So You Think You Can Be Mayor,” essentially the race’s first debate.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
