LEWISTON — A perennial candidate for city office said he will seek the Ward 5 seat for the City Council while running a write-in campaign for the job of mayor.
Charles Soule, of 135 Bartlett St., said he had withheld at least one petition signature on his nomination papers for the Ward 5 seat while he considered whether he would seek the mayor’s chair. The Sun Journal reported that Soule had submitted his nominations petitions on July 15. Soule said that forced him to submit that last signature.
“Once I filed that last signature, it took me out of the running for mayor,” Soule said. “So, I will run for Ward 5 because I have the signatures, but I will run a write-in campaign for mayor. That solves all of my problems.”
City Clerk Kathy Montejo said Soule has collected at least 50 valid signatures, guaranteeing him a spot on November’s Ward 5 municipal ballot.
Montejo said city rules do not allow candidates to seek two official seats on a ballot. Soule had initially taken nominations for the mayor’s chair but later withdrew those papers to seek the Ward 5 nomination.
Would-be candidates have until Sept. 6 to collect signatures and guarantee themselves spots on the Nov. 5 ballot.
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