With only 68 days until the midterm elections in November, Houlton has 17 open leadership seats and only two voters have declared their candidacy, according to Town Clerk Khylee Wampler.
Openings include five seats on the seven-member Town Council, as well as 10 additional seats on the RSU 29 school board, the Board of Budget Review, the Cary Library Board of Trustees and directors of the Houlton Water Company.
Houlton has struggled to fill council and board seats in recent years. When no one runs in the election for an open seat, the town council appoints someone to fill the vacancy until the next election.
In the aftermath of the town manager’s September 2025 arrest, residents packed council meetings and lined up to express their concerns. Leaders have since encouraged residents to become more active in town governance by running for open seats.
Prospective candidates must be registered Houlton voters and file a nomination petition, signed by 70 registered town voters, with the Houlton town clerk by 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, to be on the November ballot. Petition circulators must personally witness each signature, according to state law.
Once received, Wampler will certify petitions by validating the signatures that include a printed name and street address (not a post office box). Because some signers may not qualify, Wampler suggests obtaining additional signatures to make sure candidates have the required 70.
Current Town Councilors Fred Grant and Sue Tortello are the only candidates who have turned in council nomination petitions, and Carl Lord has filed as a declared write-in for the Board of Budget Review.
Grant, who was appointed to his council seat earlier this year, is seeking a two-year term.
Tortello, elected to a one-year term last November, is seeking a three-year term.
Declaring as a write-in candidate is an additional option for people interested in running for office who do not have a signed nomination petition. Houlton registered voters can be considered a valid write-in candidate for any position on the municipal ballot if they declare their write-in candidacy by Sept. 18, according to Wampler.
A write-in candidate’s name is not printed on the ballot, but as a declared write-in, the name is posted at the polls. The required forms are available at the town office, 21 Water St., during normal business hours.
Current municipal openings include: Houlton Town Council, three 3-year terms, one 2-year term and one 1-year term; RSU 29 school board, three 3-year terms; Board of Budget Review, three 3-year terms, two 2-year terms and one 1-year term; Houlton Water Company directors, two 3-year terms; and Cary Library Board of Trustees, one 5-year term.
Call (207) 532-7111 with questions.
