PORTLAND — Incumbent Kevin Donoghue beat back a challenge in the City Council District 1 race, Edward Bryan won the School Committee District 2 seat and Kenneth Levinsky prevailed in the Portland Water District Board of Trustees contest.
Donoghue beat political newcomer Charles Bragdon by a vote of 2,625 to 1,364. The district encompasses Portland's East End and Casco Bay islands.
Donoghue, a member of the Green Independent Party, said he was running on the platform of encouraging affordable housing, transportation choices and community development.
He considers zoning that gives developers incentives for building mixed-income housing, reduced zoning barriers for residential development and a peninsula transit study among his major accomplishments.
Bragdon, a self-described "progressive Democrat," said he could do a better job of representing the district.
The owner of A-Plus Family Taxi, Bragdon said the City Council needs to work with the business community to create jobs.
He has expressed frustration that the Adams School has not yet been redeveloped and said island residents should be able to use Ocean Gateway for parking when it's not in use. He was also a proponent of background checks for current and prospective board members.
David Marshall and Nicholas Mavodones Jr. ran unopposed for re-election to the District 2 and at-large City Council seats, respectively.
In the District 2 School Committee race, Bryan beat Anthony Zeli by a vote of 2,294 to 1,792.
They were competing for the seat vacated by Robert O'Brien. The district covers the West End, Parkside, St. John Valley and Oakdale neighborhoods.
The city's schools could lose close to $3 million in state aid this year and more than $6 million next year.
Zeli said that starting the nonprofit Maine Film Collaborative and serving as treasurer of the Maine Green Independent Party has helped prepare him for a potentially difficult budget process.
He also wants to promote green building and maintenance projects.
Bryan, a software consultant and trainer, said he would draw on his experience developing budget reports for school districts and municipalities.
He also wants to aid the committee's effort to address school building needs.
Jenna Vendil ran unopposed for the District 1 committee seat vacated by Rebecca Minnick. Sarah Thompson, an incumbent at-large member, was running unopposed.
In the water district race, Levinksy defeated Oliver Outerbridge by a vote of 13,041 to 6,972.
Outerbridge ran single-issue campaign against fluoridation in public water, which Levinsky favors.
Levinsky, who said he hadn't thought of himself as a pro-fluoridation candidate when he decided to run, said he wants to use his business experience to help the district.
He, along with two brothers, ran the Levinsky's clothing store in Portland's East End.
Outerbridge, the owner of Bonobo Wood Fired Pizza in the West End, leads a group called Fluoride Leave Our Water.
Staff Writer Ann S. Kim can be contacted at 791-6383 or at: akim@pressherald.com
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