# 2019 Portland, Maine, mayoral election

Elections in Maine :
Federal offices
U.S. President
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
Dem
1988
1992
1996
2000
Dem
2004
Dem
2008
Dem
Rep
2012
Rep
2016
Dem
Rep
2020
Dem
Rep
2024
Dem
Rep
U.S. Senate
1820
1821
1823
1823
1827
1829 sp
1835
1835 sp
1837 sp
1839
1840
1843 sp
1846
1848 sp
1851
1854 sp
1857
1857 sp
1859
1861 sp
1863
1865 sp
1869
1870 sp
1875
1877
1877 sp
1880
1881
1881 sp
1883
1887
1889
1893
1895
1899
1901
1905
1907
1911
1912 sp
1913
1916
1916 sp
1918
1922
1924
1926 sp
1928
1930
1934
1936
1940
1942
1946
1948
1952
1954
1958
1960
1964
1966
1970
1972
1976
1978
1982
1984
1988
1990
1994
1996
2000
2002
2006
2008
2012
2014
2018
2020
2024
2026
U.S. House of Representatives
1820–1821
1822 sp 2nd
1823
1824–1825
1826–1827
1826 sp 5th
1827 sp 1st
1828–1830
1830
1833
1834
1836
1838
1840
1843
1844
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1860 sp 5th
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1881 sp 2nd
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1897 sp 3rd
1898
1899 sp 1st
1899 sp 2nd
1900
1901 sp 4th
1902
1904
1906
1908
1908 sp 2nd
1908 sp 4th
1910
1912
1913 sp 3rd
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1940 sp 2nd
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1951 sp 3rd
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026 :
State government
Gubernatorial elections
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
State Senate elections
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
State House elections
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
People's vetoes
2009Question 1
2011Question 1
2018Question 1 (Jun)
2020Question 1
Citizen initiated referendums
2012Question 1
2014Question 1
2015Question 1
2016
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
2017
Question 1
Question 2
2018
Question 1 (Nov)
2021
Question 1
2023
Question 1
Constitutional amendments
2021
Question 3
Legislatively referred referendums
2024
Question 5 :
City of Portland
Mayoral elections
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
vte :
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.
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. She was elected using ranked choice voting. With rest of the elected municipal government in Portland, the post is officially non-partisan. Incumbent Mayor Ethan Strimling running for re-election, was challenged by city councilor Spencer Thibodeau, former Portland School Board Chair Kate Snyder and East End resident Travis Curran.
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
* Kate Snyder, nonprofit executive, former Chair of the Portland School Board, Oakdale resident
* Ethan Strimling, incumbent mayor, West End resident
* Spencer Thibodeau, real estate lawyer, City Councilor for District 2, Parkside resident

### Failed to qualify for ballot

* Mark Hodgdon, Libbytown resident
* Ronald E. Gordius III, West Bayside resident
* Thaddeus St. John, businessman, Munjoy Hill resident

### Withdrawn

* Justin Costa, City Councilor for District 4 and East Deering resident
* Belinda Ray, City Councilor for District 1 and East Bayside resident
* Joseph Bernatche, Riverton resident, Army veteran

## Campaign
### Endorsements

Individuals
* Jill Duson, Portland City Councilor, former Mayor of Portland
Individuals
* Kim Cook, Portland City Councilor
* Justin Costa, Portland City Councilor (also endorsed Thibodeau)
* John Spritz, Co-Founder, Back Cove Neighborhood Association
Media outlets
* Portland Press Herald
Governors
* John Baldacci, Governor of Maine (2003–2011), member of the United States House of Representatives (1995–2003)
Mayors
* Alan Casavant, Mayor of Biddeford
* Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, candidate for President in 2020
* Marston Lovell, Mayor of Saco
* Claude Morgan, Mayor of South Portland
* David Rollins, Mayor of Augusta
* Michael Sanphy, Mayor of Westbrook
State legislators
* Benjamin Collings, State Representative
* Annette Hoglund, former State Representative
* Christopher Kessler, State Representative
* Anne Rand, former State Senator
* John G. Richardson, former State Representative, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives
* Diane Russell, former State Representative, candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018
* Mike Sylvester, State Representative
* Gerald Talbot, former State Representative, first African-American elected official in Maine history
* Rachel Talbot Ross, State Representative
* Eliza Townsend, former State Representative
* Charlotte Warren, State Representative
Municipal officials
* Pious Ali, Portland City Councilor
* Marshall Archer, Saco City Councilor
* Tim Atkinson, Member of the Portland Board of Education
* Deqa Dhalac, South Portland City Councilor
* Emily Figdor, Member of the Portland Board of Education
* Thomas Kane, former Mayor of Portland (1998–1999)
* Micky Bondo M'bambi, Member of the Portland Board of Education
* Marianne Morrione, Member of the Portland Board of Education
* Roberto Rodriguez, Chair of the Portland Board of Education
* Nasir Shir, Member of the Cape Elizabeth School Board
Other individuals
* El Hadi Adam, President of the Sudanese Community of Portland
* Papy Bongibo, President of the Congolese Community of Portland
* Mark Dion, candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018, former State Representative, former State Senator, former Cumberland County Sheriff
* John Eder, former State Representative, former Portland Board of Education member
* Mahmoud Hassan, President of the Somali Community of Portland
* Nsiona Nguizani, President of the Angolan Community of Portland
* John Ochira, President of the South Sudanese Community of Portland
* Diane Russell, candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018, former State Representative
* Betsy Sweet, candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018 and candidate for US Senate in 2020
Organizations
* Maine People's Alliance
* Progressive Portland
Trade unions
* Communications Workers of America
* International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers
* International Association of Fire Fighters
* International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers
* International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
* International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers
* International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers
* International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
* International Brotherhood of Teamsters
* International Longshoremen's Association
* International Union of Elevator Constructors
* International Union of Operating Engineers
* International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
* Laborers International Union of North America
* Maine AFL–CIO
* Maine Lobstering Union
* Maine State Building and Trades Council
* Portland Education Association
* Southern Maine Labor Council
* United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
* United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
* United Steelworkers
* United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers
Former Portland mayors
* Michael F. Brennan, State Representative (1992–2000; 2018–present), former State Senator (2002–2006), former Mayor of Portland (2011–2015)
* Jim Cohen, former Mayor of Portland (2005–2006)
* Philip J. "Jack" Dawson, former Mayor of Portland (1986–1987; 1995–1996)
* Karen Geraghty, former Mayor of Portland (2001–2002)
* Cheryl Leeman, former Mayor of Portland (2000–2001)
* Pamela Plumb, former Mayor of Portland (1981–1982)
* Anne B. Pringle, former Mayor of Portland (1993–1994)
* Nathan Smith, former Mayor of Portland (2003–2004)
City councilors
* Brian Batson, Portland City Councilor
* Justin Costa, Portland City Councilor (also endorsed Snyder)
* Jill Duson, Portland City Councilor, former Mayor of Portland
* Nicholas Mavodones, Portland City Councilor, former Mayor of Portland
* Belinda Ray, Portland City Councilor
Other individuals
* Mark Balfantz, Member of the Portland Board of Education
* Richard Farnsworth, State Representative
* Anne Haskell, former State Senator
* Jon Hinck, former State Representative, former Portland City Councilor
Organizations
* Portland Police Benevolent Association

## Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Travis Curran | Kate Snyder | Ethan Strimling | Spencer Thibodeau |
| Change Research | October 4–6, 2019 | 347 | ±5% | 5% | 24% | 29% | 29% |

## Results

The official election results were:
Portland, Maine mayoral election, 2019 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 3 |
| Party | Party | Candidate | 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 | Eliminated |
| | Non-partisan | Travis Curran | 1,296 | 7.16% | - 1,296 | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,902 | 100.0% |