Today, July 24, is the first day that political hopefuls in Biddeford can take out nomination forms in order to have their names on the November 4 ballot.
Every local office is up for grabs: mayor, city council, school committee and ward clerks.
I have been covering Biddeford politics for 30 years, and I always look forward to this day and all the inside-baseball stuff that is going on behind the scenes.
RELATED: Biddeford Election 2025/Latest Updates
This morning, I received no fewer than 22 text messages from people wondering about who is running and who is not. They want the latest scoop, the latest gossip.
NEW BOSS, NEW RULES
Traditionally, pesky reporters and political observers were able to get updated information daily from the City Clerk’s office, but that tradition ended two years after Robin Patterson was sworn in as city clerk.
Patterson is putting a new procedure in place. She will update a list each Tuesday of candidates who have turned in qualifying nomination forms. This procedure, Patterson told me, meets all state requirements and makes it fair for all involved.
While I miss the informality of just popping into City Hall to get the latest scoop about who is running, Patterson’s new process does strike me as a fair compromise and will likely cut down on the rumor mill about who is running for what.
INSIDE BASEBALL
Traditionally, the nomination process was akin to a city-wide poker tournament, like a game of Stratego gone haywire.
Some candidates would pull out three or more nomination forms just to throw others off their game. In the late 1990s, it was not uncommon to see candidates simultaneously pull papers for mayor, council, at-large and school committee.
And then? Christmas morning, usually near Labor Day: the deadline day for submitting one set of nomination papers per candidate.
Being an elected official is not as glorious or as powerful as you might imagine. Read this piece before you decide to run.
Yes, I miss the old days, but I also think City Clerk Patterson is making the right move. It may be a game for me and some others, but it is serious work for the person entrusted to making sure that our election processes are held to the very highest standards.
All that said, if you want the all the latest updates, you can count on the Biddeford Gazette. We have created a new page dedicated to the 2025 municipal elections in Biddeford. We will update this page as soon as new information becomes available. In fact, we have created a spreadsheet that you can view or download to get the very last updates.
This morning, former city council president John McCurry said he will seek to recapture his Ward Two Seat. Incumbent City Councilors Roger Beaupre (W3) and Dylan Doughty (W4) said they will seek reelection.
To all those stepping forward — or about to step forward — thank you for your willingness to serve.
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Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com
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