SOUTH PORTLAND — Six candidates qualified for the Nov. 7 municipal ballot, including three candidates for three City Council seats, with the Friday deadline to file nomination papers approaching.

All offices are for three-year terms.

City Council

Six residents have taken out paperwork for the council seats, but as of Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 6, only three had returned them with enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. The trio includes incumbent Councilor Claude Morgan.

Nomination papers are due by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8 with at least 100 signatures from registered voters, but no more than 300.  

In District 5, Rolla Dowling qualified to replace Councilor Brad Fox, who decided not to seek re-election. Fox has said he wants to take a year off to recuperate from recent health problems, which include a minor heart attack in December that resulted in bypass surgery.

Katherine White Lewis, of 153 Mussey St., has qualified to run for Mayor Patti Smith’s District 2 seat. Smith has served three consecutive three-year terms and cannot run again due to term limits. 

Jeffrey McDonald of 114 Providence Ave. and Christopher Breen of 114 Margaret St. have taken out papers to run in District 2, but have not filed them. 

In District 1, Morgan, of 75 School St., who was elected in 2014, has qualified to run for re-election. Morgan was mayor in 2007 while he served a previous, three-year term.

School Board

There are five seats to fill on the School Board following the recent resignation of Otis Thompson in District 2.

Incumbent Matthew Perkins, of 70 Elderberry Drive, has filed for re-election in District 4. He could be challenged by James Doane, of 10 Snowberry Drive, who has yet to return nomination papers.

In District 5, incumbent Elyse Tipton, of 25 Hall St., has qualified; no one else has taken out nomination papers.

In the at-large race, incumbent Mary House, of 131 Elderberry Drive, has qualified. Neither Stanley Beretsky, of 61 Adelbert St., nor Heather Johnson of 84 Colchester Drive had returned the required number of signatures as of Wednesday. 

City Clerk and Registrar of Voters Emily Scully said she will provide the council with a list of candidates who qualified for the ballot prior to its meeting on Monday, Sept. 11. Councilors are scheduled to meet in executive session at 5:30 p.m. prior to a 6:30 p.m. workshop.

Melanie Sochan can be reached at 781-3661 ext.106 or msochan@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter @melaniesochan.