Portland voters decide direction of City Council as two races head to ranked-choice runoff
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.
PORTLAND — District 4 Councilor Anna Bullett appeared to win reelection by just 14 votes Tuesday as the city’s other two races — led by Kate Snyder and Ilma Lopez — will be decided in ranked-choice tabulations Wednesday.
As unofficial results were posted after midnight, Snyder, the former mayor, led the at-large race with 42.7% of the vote. The next closest was Joey Brunelle with 31.4%.
Ranked-choice tabulations continue until a candidate exceeds the 50% mark.
Related
Maine statewide and town-by-town 2026 general election results
In the District 5 race, Lopez, the co-owner of two downtown restaurants, led with 44.3% of the vote. In second place was Michael Todd Chretien with 29.5%.
The City Clerk’s office has scheduled the ranked-choice tabulations for 11 a.m. Wednesday in the State of Maine Room on the second floor of City Hall.
Heading into Election Day, Portland was already guaranteed two new councilors in the coming term after councilors April Fournier and Kate Sykes opted not to run for reelection, making Councilor Anna Bullett the lone incumbent on Portland ballots.
Advertisement
During the campaign, candidates attempted to separate themselves and their policy platforms through a series of local forums, candidate questionnaires and endorsements. Top issues on the minds of voters included public safety and homelessness, housing and property taxes.
While candidates largely avoided negative campaigns, a political action committee known as the Campaign for Responsible Government complicated the relative peace by backing three candidates — although as of Election Day, the PAC had only spent money to support Lopez in District 5.
DISTRICT 4
The District 4 race was the only head-to-head contest, and both candidates declined to comment late Tuesday night with the results so close.
Viola campaigned on providing a fresh approach and more consistent communication with constituents, and Bullett campaigning on her experience, progressive values and established relationships with staff.
The district includes East Deering and parts of the Back Cove, Deering Center and North Deering neighborhoods.
Bullett and Viola were standing side-by-side Tuesday at the First Baptist Church on Canco Road, greeting voters as the afternoon rush began.
Advertisement
At one point, a voter on their way to the polls pointed at Viola and said, “I know you, I’m voting for you.”
On his way out, Jeff Christmas said he voted for Bullett because as a musician he appreciated Bullett’s stance on the controversial Portland Music Hall project that had been backed by Live Nation. He said he ranked Snyder first for the at-large seat due to her previous leadership as mayor.
Others told the Press Herald they came out to vote on the U.S. Senate race and didn’t have strong opinions on the local council seat.
Viola, 35, has said that the current council has had good intentions, but that its chosen policies often have bad outcomes, and he said he believes he has the experience to right the ship.
Bullett and Viola both ran as clean elections candidates, receiving maximum campaign funding of $12,498.
COUNCILOR AT-LARGE
Outside the Reiche School Tuesday morning, Boykin waved at those arriving and leaving the polls, greeting them and introducing himself. Boykin said he’d been putting his message into the community for months — through newsletters, door knocks, surveys and social media posts — but he has no idea if it’s landed. He’ll have to wait for the results.
Advertisement
Boykin, 50, is aware of his position in the race: he believes more moderate voters will likely gravitate toward Snyder, while progressives will choose Brunelle. But because some supporters of those candidates have instructed voters not to rank the other, Boykin thinks things could potentially shake out in his favor.
“I’m the wild card,” he said. He passed out cards encouraging voters to rank him second, if he isn’t their first choice.
Boykin ran as an experienced social worker and artist who could address the city’s mental health and affordability issues. He’s pushed for social services to collaborate to streamline a response to downtown mental health and homelessness, and new approaches to getting housing built.
He ran for the District 2 seat in 2024 but was unsuccessful. Boykin had raised and spent nearly $11,000 as of the most recent campaign finance reports due Oct. 23.
At East End Community School late Tuesday morning, Joey Brunelle said he’d been up since 4 a.m. His team wakes up early to move their eye-catching, hand-painted campaign signs to different locations in the city. Some have been vandalized, or stolen.
The issues Brunelle said he hears about most from voters are affordability and immigration enforcement.
Advertisement
“With the federal government on fire right now, people are looking toward their local leaders for help,” he said.
Brunelle, 41, campaigned on an ability to get multiple factions to collaborate and find solutions, as well as expand community involvement in local government.
In the run up to the election, he was outspoken on social media about political action committee influence. As the lone clean elections candidate in the race, he had so far spent about $19,600. Maximum campaign funding for at-large clean elections candidates is $32,498.
Brunelle also received endorsements from Councilor Pious Ali, outgoing Councilor Fournier and School Board Chair Sarah Lentz.
Kate Snyder, speaking outside the Woodford’s Club around 2:30 p.m., said it was her fourth stop of the day.
Snyder said Portlanders she’s spoken to are worried about affordability, housing and safe streets. She said she’s the best candidate to tackle those issues because of her experience as a former school board member and mayor.
Advertisement
“I know I could enter the job on day one and work with other people and bring that experience to the table in terms of solutions,” Synder said. She doesn’t like to align with any particular issue, or person, she said, because there are always unexpected challenges and situations that arise. “I try to be somebody that can work with all the stakeholders.”
In response to a question about whether she felt optimistic about her chances, Snyder laughed and said “never.”
“I always feel like you just never know,” she said.
Snyder, 56, had previously received an endorsement from Mayor Mark Dion. As of last week, Snyder had raised $32,600, and had so far spent $17,800.
DISTRICT 5
The race for District 5, which includes Riverton and portions of North Deering, will also hinge on a ranked-choice runoff Wednesday.
Michael Todd Chretien, the Maine DSA-backed candidate who was endorsed by sitting councilor Kate Sykes, said he was feeling “cautiously optimistic” late Tuesday after polls closed.
Advertisement
Chretien, 57, has called for an aggressive approach to housing development and would look to state solutions to high property taxes.
Jakobi Delgado, an economics student at the University of Southern Maine who would be the youngest-ever councilor elected, received 8.1% of the vote.
Delgado ran on controlling spending, telling the Press Herald that he would not vote for a budget that increases property taxes.
Kevin Gardella, 49, ran on providing better representation for constituents, and for offering a balanced approach to new development. He said ReCode has given the planning board “carte blanche” to approve projects that are out of character with the city.
He received 8.3% of first-place votes.
Ilma López, co-owner of Portland restaurants Ugly Duckling and Chaval, has campaigned on restoring accountability to the city’s approach to public safety. She also said that as a business owner, it often doesn’t feel like she has councilor support.
Advertisement
Outside the Grace Baptist Church in District 5, Michelle Handy said she cast her ballot for Lopez, and “is excited to see what they can do.”
Terri Grover, 72, said her first choice vote also went to López, but that the district was lucky to have a strong slate of candidates. She said she looked for candidates that will put forward well thought out policies rather than ones that will create unintended consequences.
“I like somebody who is really invested in the district,” she said. “I put three kids through Portland schools and I have a long-term vested interest in this neighborhood.”
López, 44, was born and raised in Venezuela but has lived in Portland for 14 years. She said she was feeling positive about her chances Tuesday.
All four candidates ran clean elections campaigns.
Gardella said Tuesday that the four candidates in District 5 have had a good relationship throughout the campaign and he pointed to the joint anti-PAC statement, which stemmed from Delgado’s campaign, as an example.
SCHOOL BOARD
Three newcomers running unopposed for seats on Portland’s school board were also voted in Tuesday.
Lucia Rico, a political newcomer, will be the at-large board member. Alexandra Reissman, a mother of three Portland students, will take the District 4 seat. And newcomer Rich Leone was elected to the District 5 seat.
Copy the Story Link
Tagged: election 2026
Andrew Rice is a staff writer at the Press Herald covering the city of Portland. He's been working in journalism since 2012, joining the Sun Journal in 2017, then the Press Herald in 2026. He lives in. More by Andrew Rice
Riley covers education for the Press Herald. Before moving to Portland, she spent two years in Kenai, Alaska, reporting on local government, schools and natural resources for the public radio station KDLL. More by Riley Board
