AUGUSTA — There will be no officially contested races for the Augusta City Council or Board of Education on the Nov. 8 ballot, and one school board seat will not have any candidates on the ballot.
Nomination papers for seven open seats were due earlier this month. By the filing deadline, only one candidate had taken out and returned papers seeking election for each of the available council or school board positions.
Ward 1 had no candidates return nomination papers for an open school board seat, leaving the position to be filled by a write-in candidate.
Mayor Mark O’Brien said he did not know why there are not more candidates, noting some elections have had several contested races.
“It’s hard to say. Some elections, you have hotly contested races. Some, you don’t,” he said. “I’d like to think that’s a reflection that people are fairly content with the way things are being handled, but I don’t know for sure.”
Incumbent Ward 3 City Councilor Mike Michaud is seeking reelection. Joining him in the race for spots on the City Council: William Savage and Stephanie-Ann Sienkiewicz, each seeking election to two at-large seats on the council. The seats are now held by Raegan LaRochelle and Heather Pouliot, neither of whom filed nomination papers to keep her seat on the council.
O’Brien said LaRochelle and Pouliot are busy with their work and lives, so it is understandable they are not seeking reelection to the council. He said they have made significant contributions to the city and their input will be missed. He also speculated they will continue to make contributions to the city.
Two incumbents on the Board of Education are also seeking reelection: Rita Pello to her at-large seat and Kati McCormick in Ward 4.
Standard terms on the City Council and Board of Education are for three years.
Kimberly Bard is the only candidate seeking to fill the remaining two years of a Ward 3 school board seat made available by Heidi Wardwell’s resignation.
No candidate has taken out papers to run for a Ward 1 school board seat now filled by Staci Fortunato, who did not file papers to run for reelection. Write-in candidates must declare their intentions to seek a seat by filing paperwork available at the city clerk’s office.
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