- Home
- Departments
- City Clerk
- Elections & Voter Registration
- Want to Run for Office?
Want to Run for Office?
November 4, 2025 General Municipal Election
Nomination papers for the November 4, 2025 General Municipal Election are required to be returned by Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 6:00pm. View information about this election.
Nomination Papers
- Candidates running for City Council or School Board need 100 qualified signatures of registered voters of the city. The Charter indicates not less than 100 or more than 300 signatures. It is recommended that you turn in at least 130 to 150 signatures as some of the signers may not be registered voters or may have already signed and qualified another candidate. We have provided you with 8 petition sheets with 25 lines on each page. If you would like more, we would be happy to provide them to you upon request. (City Charter [Sec.] 1004. Nominations.)
- Candidates running for Warden or Ward Clerk must be residents of the district for which they are elected and need 30 qualified signatures of registered voters within that district. The Charter indicates not less than 30 or more than 100 signatures. It is recommended that you turn in above 30 signatures as some of the signers may not be registered voters within that district or may have already signed and qualified another candidate. We have provided you with two (2) petition sheets with 25 lines on each page. If you would like more, we would be happy to provide them to you upon request. (City Charter [Sec.] 1004. Nominations.)
Requirements
City Council
- Must reside in and be registered to vote in the city district for the office you are running for and remain a resident of the City for the duration of your term. At-Large candidates may live anywhere in the City (City Charter Section 208 & Section 901)
- May not hold office of emolument or profit nor any position of employment in any city department, including but not limited to the department of education, whether full or part time. (City Charter)
School Board
- Must reside in and be registered to vote in the city district for the office you are running for and remain a resident of the City for the duration of your term. At-Large candidates may live anywhere in the City (City Charter Section 208 & Section 901)
- Refer to the School Board's Master Book Policy for further information the the requirements on running for this position.
Portland Water District Trustee (South Portland and Cape Elizabeth)
- Trustees are elected from geographic area designed to provide representation proportionate to the population of PWD Service area. This is why some towns and cities are combined like, South Portland and Cape Elizabeth) to comprise an area district for which they are elected.
Warden or Warden Clerk
- Be residents of the district for which they are elected.
Resources
Holding public office is a large time commitment and responsibility. Those interested in running for office, particularly for City Council, should review the helpful information posted on Maine Municipal Association's "Running for Local Office".
Candidates will want to be familiar with the duties, rules, and policies of the office before deciding to run for office. Prior to the inauguration ceremony (1st Monday in December), newly elected Councilor's will receive on-boarding with the City Manager and City Clerk, and will be encouraged to attend the "Elected Officials Workshop" training hosted by Maine Municipal Association.
School Board
- Charter - Board of Education
- South Portland's School District
- Master Policy Book
- Maine Freedom of Access (FOAA) Law
City Council
- Charter - City Council
- South Portland's City Council
- City Council Standing Rules
- Maine Freedom of Access (FOAA) Law
Wardens
Portland Water District Trustee
List of Candidates
As prospective candidates take out nomination papers, their names, address, office for which they are running, date which nomination papers were taken out, and date which nomination papers were returned will be posted here.
Should a prospective candidate return enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, that information will be indicated in the last column.
Per Charter, the political party (if any) of candidates do not appear on the ballot and are not posted here. Candidates are not required to be enrolled in a political party in order to qualify for local office and voters do not need to be enrolled in a political party to receive a ballot.
All nomination papers are issued and filed with the City Clerk, located at City Hall, 25 Cottage Road.
| Candidate's Name | Candidate's Address | Office | Date Taken Out | Date Returned | Certified by Clerk |
| Richard Matthews | 17 Boothby Ave | City Council - At Large | July 28, 2025 | August 26, 2025 | August 26, 2025 |
| Carter Scott | 75 Vincent St | City Council - District One | July 28, 2025 | August 25, 2025 | August 25, 2025 |
| Natalie West | 5 Deake St | City Council - At Large | July 28, 2025 | August 25, 2025 | August 25, 2025 |
| Tyler Smith | 51 Kaler Rd | Board of Education - District Two | July 28, 2025 | August 25, 2025 | August 26, 2025 |
| Eleni Richardson | 54 Sylvan Rd | Board of Education - At Large | July 29, 2025 | August 25, 2025 | August 25, 2025 |
| Henry Saniuk | 51 Settler Rd | Warden - District Five | July 30, 2025 | August 28, 2025 | August 28, 2025 |
| Steven Riley | 241 Elderberry | Board of Education - District Four | July 31, 2025 | N/A | NO |
| Christopher P Scontras | 8 Woods Knoll Drive (Cape Elizabeth) | Portland Water District Trustee | August 4, 2025 | August 28, 2025 | August 28, 2025 |
| John Murphy | 6 Willard St | City Council - District One | August 7, 2025 | N/A | NO |
| Margret Flaherty | 59 Settler Rd | Ward Clerk - District Five | August 11, 2025 | August 26, 2025 | August 26, 2025 |
| Elizabeth Holman-Perry | 5 Lahave Street | Board of Education - District One | August 11, 2025 | N/A | NO |
| George A Risch | 39 Marcelle Ave | Board of Education - District Four | August 11, 2025 | Sept. 3, 2025 | Sept. 3, 2025 |
| Kate McCarty | 7 Stone Dr | Warden - District One | August 12, 2025 | August 25, 2025 | August 25, 2025 |
| Anne Jordan | 71 Snowberry Dr | Ward Clerk - District Four | August 14, 2025 | August 28, 2025 | August 28, 2025 |
| Daniel Feller | 40 Spring St | Board of Education - District One | August 18, 2025 | August 28, 2025 | August 28, 2025 |
| Jonathan Hartford | 68 George Street | Warden - District Four | August 20, 2025 | Sept. 4, 2025 | Sept. 4, 2025 |
| Donald Russell | 48 Woodmoor Rd | Ward Clerk - District Two | August 20, 2025 | N/A | NO |
| Alexandra Grindle | 38 Ridgeland Ave | Ward Clerk - District Three | August 20, 2025 | Sept. 2, 2025 | Sept. 3, 2025 |
| Howard Kunin | 33 Walnut St | Warden - District Two | August 28, 2025 | Sept. 4, 2025 | Sept. 4, 2025 |
Petition Reminders & Requirements
- A voter may only sign nomination papers for one candidate for each office per district, or two candidates when two at large seats are available. (City Charter [Sec.] 1004. Nominations.)
- The petition circulator must witness the signature of each person who signs. Circulators should not leave petitions in stores, businesses, etc. to be picked up later. Each circulator must fill out this form on the back of the petition sheets they circulated. The circulator must sign the sheet in the presence of a notary. This can be done in the Clerks' Office free of charge.
- It is unlawful to sign another person's name to a petition (this includes the signature of one's spouse.)
- The Clerks' Office strongly recommends that candidates do not wait until the deadline to turn in petitions. If there should be a problem with petitions, there may not be enough time for the candidate to correct the problem.
Campaign Finance Reporting
Maine Election Law requires municipal candidates in cities and towns with a population of 15,000 or more to disclose their campaign contributions and expenditures, to comply with contribution limitations and prohibitions, and to meet other requirements of the law.
In South Portland, every candidate must register with the Clerk before accepting any campaign contributions or making any campaign expenditures. Please review the "2023 Municipal Candidates Guide" for more information.
Registration forms are included in your nomination packet, and must be returned with your nomination paperwork even if you choose to exempt from collecting or spending campaign finances. If you choose to accept or spend campaign funds, you must file reports with the Clerk's office.
CONTRIBUTION LIMIT - $575 PER CONTRIBUTOR
An individual, political committee, party committee, corporation or association may not make contributions to a municipal candidate aggregating more than $575.
ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS - RESTRICTED TO $10 OR LESS
For more information and forms regarding campaign finance, please visit the Maine Ethics Commission website.
Campaign Signs
The City adopts the regulations set by the Maine Department of Transportation regarding the placement of temporary signs in the "public right of way" (ROW). Maine Department of Transportation letter to candidates regarding placement of temporary signs.
General Guidelines
- Signs may be placed in the public ROW for a maximum of 12 weeks in a calendar year (6 weeks from January 1st to June 30th and another 6 weeks between July 1st and December 31st).
- The same sign may not be placed closer than 30 feet from one another.
- Signs may not be placed within 250 feet of a polling place on Election Day, including City Hall while absentee voting is ongoing (30 days before Election Day).
- Signs may not be placed in public rights of ways less than 6 feet wide (such as small medians).
- Signs may not be placed in roundabouts or rotaries (including the roundabout in Kightville).
- Signs may not be placed on or obstruct the view of traffic signals or signs or traffic safety equipment or block paths or roads. Signs may not be placed on telephone poles.
- Signs placed in the public ROW may not exceed 4 feet by 8 feet in size.
- On private property, signs may not be erected at any time with landowner's permission. Signs placed outside of the public ROW must not exceed 50 square feet in size. Signs placed without permission on private property may be removed by the landowner.
All temporary sigs must indicate the name and address of the individual, entity or organization that placed them, and the date the signs were placed.
Campaign signs must clearly and conspicuously state that the communication has been authorized and must clearly state the name of the person who made or financed the expenditure. There are few exceptions.
Each year, the City Clerk receives several complaints about signs that are improperly placed or do not contain the required information. Please ensure your signs are properly makred with the required information - the name, address and date of posting can be done in a small sticker placed on the back of the sign, while it is typical to have the campaign authorization and finance information printed in smaller print on the bottom front of the sign. Signs placed in the public right of way that violates the laws and/or does not contain the required information may be removed. Please make a plan to keep track of the signs you place, and be sure to collect them as soon as possible after the election - many times candidates choose to reuse their signs for future elections. Signs that are left up 6 weeks after their posted date will be removed.