# 2015 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 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.
The new citizen-elected mayor serves full-time in the position for a four-year term, exercises the powers and duties enumerated in Article II Section 5 of the Portland City Charter, be elected using instant-runoff voting, and, like the rest of municipal government in Portland, be officially non-partisan. Ethan Strimling defeated incumbent mayor Michael F. Brennan and fellow challenger Tom MacMillan.

## Candidates
### Official candidates

* Michael Brennan, incumbent mayor of Portland and Back Cove resident
* Tom MacMillan, Portland chair of the Maine Green Independent Party and Parkside resident
* Ethan Strimling, former State Senator, political pundit, and West End resident

### Failed to make ballot

* Christopher Vail, North Deering resident, Portland firefighter

### Declined

* Jill Duson, at-large city councilor and candidate for mayor in 2011
* Cheryl Leeman, former city councilor for District 4 (1984–2014) and former mayor (1988–1989; 2000–2001)
* Jon Hinck, at-large city councilor, former State Representative, and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012
* David Marshall, city councilor for District 2 and candidate for mayor in 2011
* Nicholas Mavodones, at-large city councilor, former mayor (1999–2000; 2006–2007; 2010–2011), and candidate for mayor in 2011 (endorsed Strimling)
* Jed Rathband, political consultant and candidate for mayor in 2011
* Edward Suslovic, city councilor for District 3, former mayor (2007–2008), and former state representative (endorsed Strimling)

## Campaign

The day after Ethan Strimling announced his candidacy for mayor, a group of city councilors and school board members led by Nicholas Mavodones announced their opposition to the reelection of Mayor Brennan and support of Strimling. Mavodones cited division within the city and city government as well as an atmosphere of frustration under Brennan's leadership. Borth incumbent Brennan and Strimling opposed a $15 minium wage while MacMillan ran on raising the city's minium wage to $15.

## Endorsements

State legislators (Portland Democrats unless otherwise specified)
* Justin Alfond, State Senator, former President of the Maine Senate
* Mark Eves, Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (D-North Berwick)
* Richard Farnsworth, state representative
* Denise Harlow, state representative
* Erik Jorgensen, state representative
* Peter Stuckey, state representative
* Andrew Gattine, State Representative (D-Westbrook)
Unions
* Longshoremen’s Benevolent Association, ILA Local 861
State legislators
* Harlan Baker, State Representative (1979-1988) (D-Portland)
Other political endorsements
* Nisha Swinton, Water District Board of Trustees, Unenrolled
* Ben Meiklejohn, School Board (2001-2007) and former co-chair of the Maine Green Independent Party
* Asher Platts, former chair of the Maine Green Independent Party
* Jorge Maderal, Chair, Libertarian Party of Maine
City councilors
* Kevin Donoghue
* Jill Duson
* Nicholas Mavodones
* Edward Suslovic
Portland School Board members
* Sarah Thompson, chairwoman
* Pious Ali
* John Eder, former state representative (G-Portland)
* Anna Trevorrow
* Holly Seeliger
* Stephanie Hatzenbuehler
* Marnie Morrione
State legislators
* Anne Haskell, State Senator (D-Portland)
* Gerald Talbot, former State representative (D-Portland)
Unions
* United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry, UA Local 716
* Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association Local Union No 17
* International Association of Fire Fighters Local 740
* Professional Firefighters of Maine
* Maine State Building and Construction Trades Council
Media
* Portland Press Herald

## Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Michael Brennan | Tom MacMillan | Ethan Strimling | Christopher Vail | Other/ Undecided |
| Maine People's Resource Center | August 22–24, 2015 | 451 | ±4.5% | 21.4% | 4% | 46% | 2.2% | 26.4% |

## Election results

Portland Mayoral Election, 2015 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Ethan Strimling | Ethan Strimling | 9,163 | 51.1% |
| Michael F. Brennan | Michael F. Brennan | 6,884 | 38.4% |
| Thomas MacMillan | Thomas MacMillan | 1,880 | 10.5% |
| Total votes | Total votes | 17,930 | 100.0 |