SCARBOROUGH — Candidates vying for public office in Scarborough, South Portland and Cape Elizabeth are already gearing up for Election Day.

Nomination papers are now available in Scarborough for three seats on the Town Council, two seats on the School Board and one seat on the Scarborough Sanitary Board of Trustees.

Candidates have until Wednesday, Sept. 3, to return them to the town clerk’s office, with at least 25 and no more than 100 signatures from registered voters. 

Council seats up for re-election are held by Chairman Richard Sullivan, Councilor James Benedict, and Councilor Kate St. Clair.

Sullivan has taken out papers for a second consecutive three-year term. Benedict and St. Clair said they had not decided whether to run for second terms. 

Besides Sullivan, four residents have taken out papers to run for the seats, according to Town Clerk Tody Justice: former Councilors Shawn Babine and William Kennedy, Liam Somers, who is a member of the Canine Education & Enforcement Ad-Hoc Committee, and Peter Hayes, an advocate for more liberal dog leash laws.

School Board members Kelly Murphy and Chair Christine Massengill have taken out papers for re-election.

Sanitary District Board of Trustees seats held by Chairman Jason Greenleaf, Clerk Charles Andreson, and member Rob McSorley are up for re-election, but none have taken out papers. 

South Portland

The deadline is Sept. 8 to return nomination papers for three City Council seats, two School Board seats and one seat on the Portland Water District Board of Trustees to the South Portland city clerk’s office.

Candidates must submit 100 qualified signatures.

Incumbent Councilors Michael Pock of District 1 and Patti Smith of District 2 have both taken out re-election papers for three-year terms. School Board member Richard Carter has taken out papers to run against Pock. 

Mayor Jerry Jalbert is not seeking re-election, leaving an open race for the District 5 council seat.

School Board members Karen Callaghan and Mary House have taken out papers for re-election to their at-large seats. Christopher Hershey, of Fairlawn Avenue, has also taken out papers to run for an at-large seat. 

Incumbent representative Wayne Ross is the only candidate who has taken out papers for the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth seat on the PWD.

Cape Elizabeth

Nomination papers for two open seats on the Cape Elizabeth Town Council and two open seats on the School Board are available in the town clerk’s office and are due back by Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. Candidates must submit 25 to 100 signatures from registered Cape Elizabeth voters to qualify for the Nov. 4 ballot.

Town Councilor David Sherman announced in late July he would not seek re-election. Councilor Kathy Ray’s nomination papers were verified Aug. 12, according to Town Clerk Debra Lane.

School Board members Elizabeth Scifres and Joanna Morrissey have not submitted nomination papers for re-election. So far, only Fox Hill resident Barbara Powers will appear on the ballot for the School Board.

Shelby Carignan can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 106 or scarignan@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @shelbycarignan.