Ilma Lopez for District 5 in Portland | Letter

Read all of our coverage of Maine's 2026 election or stay up to date with the latest developments through the Maine Political Report in your inbox or text messages from politics editor Kirby Wilson.

I am so grateful that Ilma Lopez has stepped forward to represent District 5 on the Portland City Council. When COVID-19 hit, Ilma was one of the first people I heard from. Our restaurants and breweries were closed, people were suddenly without work and kids were losing access to meals they normally received at school. Ilma reacted by bringing our hospitality community together to figure out how we could help our community. We shared ideas, figured out what we had — and what people needed.

In those stressful days, when Ilma’s focus could have just been on her own kids and her own struggling business, instead she asked, “What can I do to help our community through this?” That is who Ilma is. And it is why I will be proud to vote for her on Nov. 3.

Heather Sanborn
Portland

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Tagged: election 2026, letter to the editor