The City of Portland holds municipal elections on Tuesday, November 5th. Roberto Rodriguez’s at-large city council seat, Anna Trevorrow’s District 1 seat which covers the eastern half of the Portland peninsula, and Victoria Pelletier’s District 2 seat which covers the western half of the peninsula are all open. The below city council and school board candidate profiles were written by the candidates with a strict word limit.
(Updated 10/29/2024. District 2 school board write-in candidate Amy Grommes Pulaski has withdrawn from the race.)
City Council Candidate Profiles
City Council At-Large
Jess Falero
Experience: Activist, advocate, organizer. Jess has lived in Portland since 2016 and early in that time became a leader and advocate, becoming known as a strong voice for vulnerable populations. Their direct experience of being unhoused and advocating for their community members makes them a fresh face in Portland politics.
Reason for running: Through working with Portland’s unhoused, Jess became familiar with the experience of losing friends and colleagues and has organized multiple memorials for those who have died on the streets of Portland. Moved by these memories, Jess wants to build a city where no one has to die on the streets.
Contact: jessforportland.com
Ben Grant
Experience: I am an at-large member of the school board. I am a former: Chair of the Maine Democratic Party, Co-Chair of Gov. Mills’ transition team, counsel to Speaker Sarah Gideon, and counsel to the Maine AFL-CIO. I am a former Board member of PAYSA and of the Ocean Ave. Elementary School PTO. Professionally, I am general counsel to the Maine Education Association.
Reason for running: I am running to help push the City faster in addressing key issues of housing, affordability, and homelessness. The Council also needs members with significant education experience in order to advocate for strong school budgets. We also need to work harder with other communities around Maine to persuade the legislature to reform taxes and school funding.
Contact: grant4portland.com
Grayson Lookner
Experience: After campaigning for ranked choice voting and Bernie Sanders, I have served two terms as state representative for Portland’s District 113 where I’ve written and passed bills to fund affordable housing construction. I’m a former EMT, and currently a tech at Merrill Auditorium and a seasonal kayaking guide in Casco Bay.
Reason for running: We need a voice on the council who will work tirelessly to solve our housing crisis, so affordable housing is available to all. I will bridge the divide between Augusta and the city council, so we can get the necessary resources to tackle climate change, the housing crisis, and homelessness.
Contact: lookneratlarge.com, lookneratlarge@gmail.com
Brandon Mazer
Experience: I’m a land use attorney for cities and towns across Maine. I ran in the 2021 election for council which resulted in a tie and recount. I have been actively involved in our community serving on a variety of volunteer boards including: Planning Board, Maine State Music Theatre, Friends of the Eastern Promenade, and Special Olympics Maine.
Reason for running: I believe I can make a difference and be a voice of reason. My experience on the Planning Board has given me invaluable insight and knowledge about municipal government, what is and isn’t working. I am ready to hit the ground running on day 1 – ready to listen and work hard on behalf of Portland residents.
Contact: brandonmazer.com
Jacob (Jake) Viola
Experience: 6+ years in state government: Deputy Chief Engagement Officer, Technology Services and Security; Director of Strategic Innovation, Office of the Governor. 3 years in Federal government: Strategy & Operations Consultant, National Security & Diplomacy Agencies. Board Member, Back Cove Neighborhood Association. Master’s Degree in Public Policy, Harvard.
Reason for running: For my daughter’s future. I’m embarrassed by what’s happening to Portland. Needles litter our parks. Our city council is out of touch. Runaway spending makes life unaffordable. We deserve better. I’m the only candidate who hasn’t spent years in city politics. I bring a decade’s experience in fixing government problems.
Contact: jakeviola.com, jake4portland@gmail.com, www.instagram.com/viola4portland
City Council District 1
Sarah Michniewicz
Experience: Professional seamstress and designer for 30 years, currently freelance. Candidate for city council, District 1, in 2021. Bayside Neighborhood Association board president. Community advocate. HART of Maine cat shelter board vice president. Preble Street Elena’s Way shelter advisory board member. Coordinator of Portland Window Dressers community build. Neighborhood representative on many city hiring panels and working groups. Foster mom for shelter cats and pets of unhoused people.
Reason for running: Portland is facing significant challenges and opportunities, and needs a balanced and responsive council to move the city toward sustainable solutions. My decade of advocacy on Portland’s biggest issues – housing, homelessness, infrastructure, safety, trees – have given me the experience and skills to be that voice for district one.
Contact: sarah4council.com, sarahfordistrict1@gmail.com
Robert Todd Morse
Experience: I am the chief technology officer at a company that does medical device and drug trials. I am the president and founder of the Urbanist Coalition of Portland which advocates for housing, walkable neighborhoods, and transit. I am also on the CDBG Allocation Committee and the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Reason for running: I am running because I want to help build a city that is safe, walkable, and has enough housing for everyone. Portland is a city where people truly care. We have challenges but I believe we can overcome them and I want to do my part in that.
Contact: morseforportland.me
City Council District 2
Atiim B. Boykin
Experience: I am a Forensic Intensive Case Manager for OBH [Office of Behavioral Health] in Cumberland County, guiding individuals from incarceration to stable lives. I understand large systems and collaborative problem solving. With 20+ years of experience in mental health and social justice, I co-founded the first young adult court in San Francisco.
Reason for running: I believe Portland can be a city where everyone thrives. I’m a trained listener and advocate whose skills will help me represent D2. Portland’s charm and affordability are worth protecting, and I’m ready to help keep it vibrant, ensuring essential workers can live close to work and lead the way.
Contact: ATIIM.org, Atiim4District2@gmail.com
Nancy English
Experience: Retired in December after 11 years as a paralegal in the Portland City Attorney’s Office, when I assisted with countless agendas, I am well equipped to do responsible work on the city council. I raised my daughter in Parkside, where I have lived next to Deering Oaks Park for the last 25 years.
Reason for running: Today, at the new homeless services center, with Preble Street providing more than $1M in food, the city hosts an average of 250 people a night. Yet housing is too expensive to solve homelessness, and developers don’t build. We need to change the code to attract more housing and more businesses to help Portland prosper.
Contact: NancyEnglishcitycouncild2.com, englishforcitycouncil@gmail.com
Catherine Nekoie
Experience: As a small business owner, wife, mother, property owner, and realtor, I love my community and want our city to stay safe, healthy, and full of opportunities. Though new to politics, my life experiences provide a solid foundation to tackle challenges, and I’m confident in making tough decisions.
Reason for running: My goal is to create a safer city with accessible parks and affordable housing, revitalize downtown to support thriving businesses, and promote tourism while preserving Portland’s working waterfront and unique charm we are proud of.
Contact: catherinenekoie4d2portland.com; Facebook: Catherine Nekoie for District 2 Portland; Instagram: CatherineNekoie4D2Portland; Catherinenekoie4d2Portland@gmail.com
Robert O’Brien
Experience: Employed full-time conducting housing studies and writing strategies for cities nationwide. Served three years on Portland’s school board, elected to two different charter commissions, appointed to and chair Portland’s historic preservation board, and served as president of West End Neighborhood Association. Master’s degree in Public Policy from Muskie School.
Reason for running: Housing is Portland’s #1 issue — no candidate’s better equipped to help. I support much about rent control but it won’t solve our housing crisis — we need supply! I’ll push Portland to be proactive about production. Also, Portland needs a plan to combat sea rise. Let’s lead by initiative, not referendum.
Contact: bit.ly/obrienforcouncil
Wes Pelletier
Experience: I’ve been involved in community organizing for years, and have been fighting for tenant rights and affordable housing for years, fighting for the rent control and tenant protections as a lead organizer of Maine DSA’s Livable Portland & People First Portland campaigns as well as founding the Trelawny Tenant Union.
Reason for running: District 2 is a strong working class community, with mostly renters, and we need a voice at city hall that knows what it’s like to live with the housing insecurity that comes with being a renter in this market. I want to fight to keep people in their homes and to build new affordable housing.
Contact: Wesfordistrict2.net, on Instagram at wesfordistrict2
School Board Candidate Profiles
School Board At-Large
Maya Lena
Experience: Substitute Teacher- Rowe Elementary. Parent – PPS. President – Nason’s Corner Neighborhood Association. Member – PBPAC [Portland Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee]. Past member – Parks Commission. Former Teacher – Scarborough Schools. PK-12 Art Teacher Certification – State of Maine. MAT Art Education – Tufts University.
Reason for running: I am running to be a bridge between the board and the staff and families. As a district we must focus on basic priorities: staff retention, creating safe positive places of learning and growth, and advancing achievement for all PPS students.
Contact: mayalenaportlandme.com
John Rousseau
Experience: Artist, self-employed/small business owner of a reclaimed wood company. I have been an active parent in my daughter’s schooling and a member of the parent advisory group at Casco Bay High School. I have also worked with local artists in the Portland area.
Reason for running: My daughter did very well in the Portland Public school system. I want to give back to the community that gave to her. I support the superintendent’s new strategic plan – equity, excellence, community, teachers, and streamlining redundant policies. Students, teachers, parents, and families are all part of the community; I would like to help foster more policies to encourage growth.
Contact: JohnRousseauforschoolboard.com, JohnRousseauschoolboard@Gmail.com, 207.310.4665
School Board District 1
Abusana “Micky” Bondo (unopposed)
Experience: Co-founder and Leadership Consultant of In Her Presence, Businessconsultant. Current School Board member District 1 rep. and vice chair of the board. Community organizer- fostering social cohesion among seniors, empowering immigrant families through civic education. Serve in diverse boards to represent the voice of diversity.
Reason for running: We are a diverse community and our schools must serve the educational needs of all the children, and build a district where students, parents, teachers, and staff feel they are welcome. Create strategies on how to use the existing resources and allocate fundings to meet the students needs which will drive improvement, and developing policies using an equity lens.
Contact: Facebook: MickyPortlandschoolboard
School Board District 2
Abdulkadir M. Ali
Abdulkadir Ali is the only candidate to qualify through the nomination process for District 2 school board seat. WEN was unable to contact the candidate in time for publication.
Amy Grommes Pulaski (write-in candidate)
Amy Grommes Pulaski has withdrawn from the District 2 school board race due to a family emergency. *
Portland’s Municipal Election Info
The election will be held on Tuesday, November 5th. For information on the municipal election including polling places, how to register, and absentee ballot deadlines visit: https://www.portlandmaine.gov/172/Elections-Voting.
*Correction: Amy Grommes Pulaski contacted WEN before publication about her withdrawal from the race but the website was not updated immediately. This error was corrected on 10/29/2024.
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