David Chittim, Ward 6, with the microphone, introduces himself Thursday at the Lewiston Candidate Forum in the Muskie Archives on Bates College in Lewiston. From the left are Rick LaChapelle, Ward 4, Scott Harriman, Ward 3, Robert McCarthy, Ward 2, Joshua Nagine, Ward 1, Chittim, Billie Jean Bichrest Cooke, Ward 5, and Michael Roy, Ward 4. The youth led forum was organized by Harward Center for Community Partnerships, Maine Students Vote and the Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition. A recording of the forum is available on the Community Organizing Alliance’s Instagram page. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
LEWISTON — Luke Jensen, a candidate for Lewiston mayor, was knocking on doors until 6 p.m. on Oct. 25.
He said his campaign has been based on making personal connections with voters, primarily through walking neighborhoods and talking to people, but that all quickly changed following news of the tragic mass shootings in the city last week.
“My entire campaign strategy has changed since the events of that night,” he said. “We candidates have a duty to not ‘score points’ by using the tragedy, yet we obviously need to acknowledge what happened and discuss policies that can help our city recover.”
Jensen and other candidates for mayor, city councils and school committees in Lewiston and Auburn essentially put campaigns on hold for the past week, but with only five days until Tuesday’s election, candidates are trying to balance the community’s collective grieving with getting out the vote.
“I fully expect Tuesday’s election to feel different — as it should,” Lewiston mayoral candidate Jon Connor said Thursday.
Connor said the election will “be unlike any previous election held in our city” due to the impact of the shooting, but said he believes Lewiston can grieve and “still have discussions about local issues with our neighbors.”
“We can talk about policies and debate, while still going through the healing process,” he said. “That’s what a visible leader does, he or she manages multiple issues simultaneously without choosing one for the other.”
When the annual Battle of the Bridge football game between Lewiston and Edward Little high schools was rescheduled for Wednesday, most candidates for local office in Lewiston agreed they should forego a candidates forum at Bates College in Lewiston that night.
While the forum was rescheduled for Thursday, with several candidates planning to attend, Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said he wasn’t likely to make it. He said he instead planned to attend a vigil at Festival Plaza in Auburn and a hockey game at The Colisée.
“My positions and stances on issues are well known and right now I need to be focused on providing support to our residents and city,” Sheline said. “I certainly support the work that Bates and community partners are doing to bring attention to the challenges that affect Lewiston and respect their decision to proceed with the forum.”
Asked about any campaign plans leading up to Election Day, he said, “I’m wholly focused on helping our city through this tragedy.”
Jensen, who has previously run for mayor and served on the School Committee and City Council, said he expects Election Day to be a somber one. He said he thinks it may even be a slow day in terms of turnout.
‘EVERYONE IS SHAKEN’
The city clerks in Lewiston and Auburn said they’re not quite sure what to expect in terms of turnout, but do expect a slightly different tone.
Lewiston City Clerk Kathy Montejo said Thursday that it will “feel different for sure,” but that all of the city’s regular procedures and systems will be in place, including its regular polling locations and hours.
“Everyone is shaken from what happened, but we are moving forward,” she said, adding that several regular poll workers have bowed out this year “and we fully respect that.”
She said because of that, many of the workers Tuesday are new and several are working double shifts because of the shortage.
“So we ask the voters to bring some extra patience and grace with them as their fellow community members work to administer the election for them,” she said.
So far, Lewiston has issued 2,763 absentee ballots. Of those, 766 have voted in person absentee at City Hall in the early voting polling location. Montejo said her office has seen “a large spike” in requests for absentees since City Hall reopened Monday afternoon following the shootings.
In Auburn, City Clerk Sue Clements-Dallaire said her office has issued roughly 1,700 absentee ballots and about 1,200 of those have come back either through mail, early in-person voting or the city’s drop box.
She said that number is down by about 300 or so from 2021.
“It is always hard to predict what the turnout will be, but this type of election going back to 2007 averages about a 35% turnout,” she said. “I think the turnout will be a little better than that but we will have to wait and see.”
The turnout in 2019 was 19% and in 2021 the turnout was 36%. The turnout in Lewiston in 2021 was 28%.
‘SENSE OF NORMALCY’
Both mayoral candidates in Auburn believe that despite last week’s tragedy, residents will still make their voices heard at the polls.
“Through the past week, we still had to address many local issues and maintain the core functions of government,” Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque said. “As our community works through the shock and grieving of last week’s tragedy, people will at their own pace migrate back to local issues and the upcoming election.”
Levesque said Auburn and Lewiston will “continue to move towards a sense of normalcy in the coming weeks, and Tuesday’s election is just one of the steps needed in that process.”
He said because the election is coming so close after Oct. 25, it could provide an opportunity for residents “to reflect on the importance of the roles and responsibilities of our elected officials at all levels of government,” and “their abilities to deal not only with the mundane but also the unexpected and tragic.”
Mayoral candidate Jeff Harmon said Thursday that grieving will continue and it will take some time for the community to return to a sense of normalcy, but added, “The upcoming election presents clear choices to Auburn voters that will impact the future direction of our city.”
“I anticipate that voters will still turn out to vote so that their voices are heard,” he said.
Lewiston Mayor Sheline said, “Voting matters and I encourage all citizens to vote” despite the circumstances.
Lewiston mayoral candidate Connor said he’s looking forward to meeting people Tuesday and “asking them how they’re doing.”
“Sometimes I’ll be able to smile when I do that, while other times I may need to give a hug and cry with someone,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to meet people where they are. After all, we’re all human — even candidates for political office.”
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