Lisa Vadnais, political powerhouse, seeks council seat

One of Biddeford’s best-known and respected political leaders has decided that she is going to seek one of the two at-large seats on the Biddeford City Council.

Lisa Vadnais, 64, has served on the Biddeford School Committee for 16 years, including four years as that board’s chair. Over the last few years, Vadnais has demonstrated strong popularity among Biddeford voters and political observers.

In the last two election cycles (2023 and 2021), no one candidate has earned more overall votes than Vadnais. In 2023, she earned 3,374 votes for school committee. The next highest vote-getter was At-Large Councilor Marc Lessard with 3,021 votes and Mayor Martin Grohman with 2,894 votes.

Two years earlier, Vadnais garnered 3,297 votes for her return to the school committee. The next highest vote-getter that year was former mayor Alan Casavant with 3,237 votes, easily fending off a challenge by Victoria Foley for a sixth consecutive term.

“I just think it’s time for me to open a seat on the school committee for someone new; someone who can bring a fresh perspective to the table,” Vadnais said while explaining her decision to leave the school committee.

Vadnais said she is running for the city council because she is concerned about several things happening in the city, most notably rapid growth of large-scale housing projects that do little to benefit people who grew up in the city.

“I just think we need to take a pause
and carefully consider what direction
we want for our city.”

–Lisa Vadnais

“We can’t just keep spending taxpayer money without understanding the impact that has on people who are struggling to make ends meet,” Vadnais said.

Vadnais spent 35 years as a special education teacher in local schools. Today, she describes herself as “semi-retired,” working for a heating fuel company that she and her husband have operated for many years.

“I am not a politician,” she said. “I grew up here, I just think we need to take a pause and carefully consider what direction we want for our city.”

According to the Biddeford City Clerk’s office, Vadnais is the only at-large candidate who has turned in qualifying nomination papers in order to appear on the November ballot.

Other candidates hoping for one of the two at-large seats include incumbent Marc Lessard, former school committee member Dominic Deschambault, and political newcomers Greg Shapiro and Sterling Roop.

Note: Once the nomination process is completed in early September, the Biddeford Gazette will be providing comprehensive reporting on all of the candidates.

——————-

Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com

NEVER MISS ANOTHER UPDATE! Subscribe for free today!