Election Day is rapidly approaching, and Bangor voters will have 12 people to choose from to represent their interests on the city council.

The Bangor Daily News is providing the information you need to make a decision at the ballot box, including in-depth profiles of each candidate and answers to your questions about the biggest issues facing Bangor, from homelessness to property taxes and everything in between. We’ll help you differentiate between the candidates in Bangor’s largest pool in recent history.

Check back here for regular updates as we follow the race.

Key dates

  • October 5: Early voting by absentee ballot begins. Apply here.
  • October 29: Deadline to request an absentee ballot or vote early.
  • November 3: Election Day, polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center. Maine allows same-day voter registration.

Contact the BDN
Have a question, a tip about one of the candidates, or just want to share your thoughts about the election? We want to hear from voters directly. Click here to email Annie Rupertus, Bangor city hall reporter.

Meet the candidates

The candidates for the 2026 Bangor City Council race are listed below in the order they will appear on the ballot.

What the candidates said about top issues in Bangor

How would candidates have voted?

We asked all 12 Bangor City Council candidates how they would’ve voted on seven key measures that actually came before the council in the last year. The chart below shows their answers to the seven yes or no questions. Candidates were also given the option to elaborate, so you can hover over their votes in the chart (or tap, if you’re using a mobile device) to read more. As the only incumbent running for reelection, we asked Joe Leonard to explain the votes he took on those proposals.

Read more race coverage