HALLOWELL — The only municipal race in Hallowell this November with more than one candidate is no longer contested.
David Gilbert, one of the two candidates in the Ward 3 City Council race, released a statement this week announcing he would not continue to run for the seat and would instead endorse his opponent, Benjamin Coolidge Gagnon. Gilbert informed Gagnon he would be withdrawing and endorsing him after the Oct. 7 City Council meeting.
“Thank you to all my neighbors who signed my petition to run for Ward 3 councilor,” Gilbert said Thursday in a note to supporters. “I truly appreciate it. It is with that spirit I must state the following, due to changes in my circumstances I would not be able to give that role 100% and therefore I am supporting (Gagnon) in his bid to become our Ward 3 councilor.”
Gilbert declined to provide additional details for his choice to drop out.
Though he is withdrawing his candidacy and supporting Gagnon’s, Gilbert’s name will remain on the ballot for the Ward 3 seat, since in-person early voting is already underway at Hallowell City Hall.
“I thank David Gilbert for his trust in me as I truly have the interests of all Hallowellians at heart, and I very much look forward to being Ward 3’s next Councilor,” Gagnon said in an emailed statement. “As a lifelong Mainer, I know what a special community Hallowell is, and I am proud to call it home. I hope to earn the trust and votes of my neighbors in November.”
Ward 3, which covers most of the area between Middle Street and the Maine Turnpike, was represented by Ryan Martin from his election in November 2022 until he resigned in August for family reasons.
Now, the ward is represented by John Bastey, who was appointed to the seven-member council by Mayor George Lapointe in September to serve until the November election — only covering the Oct. 7 City Council meeting.
Every other City Council race on the Nov. 5 ballot is unopposed: Scott Cooper is the only candidate for the open at-large council seat, Karen Knox is the only candidate for Ward 1 and Lauren McPherson is the only candidate for Ward 5. Incumbents Maureen AuCoin, Kate Dufour and Patrick Wynne chose not to run to keep their seats.
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