BIDDEFORD — There will be a race for Biddeford mayor and in two City Council wards, but five wards each have just one candidate on the ballot for the Nov. 2 election, and both at-large candidates are unopposed.

There are eight candidates for the Biddeford School Committee, who run at large, with the seven candidates with the greatest number of votes elected.

Prospective candidates had until 4 p.m. Sept. 2 to gather the required number of signatures for the Nov. 2 municipal ballot. City Clerk Carmen Morris released the names of those in the running.

Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant is looking for a sixth term in the seat and will be challenged by former City Councilor Victoria Foley. Both have previously served in the Maine Legislature.

There is a race in Ward 4, where incumbent Dwight Ashanti Williams, appointed by Casavant in June to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term, will be challenged by former councilor Bobby J. Mills.

In Ward 5, incumbent Amy Clearwater will face a challenge from Jessica L. Johnson.

Running unopposed are incumbent councilors at-large Marc Lessard and Doris Ortiz.

Incumbent Ward 1 Councilor William Emhiser is unopposed in the Nov. 2 municipal election, as is Ward 6 incumbent Norman Belanger.

Running unopposed in Ward 2 is Scott Whiting; Ward 3, Martin Grohman, and Ward 7, Liam LaFountain.

Some current councilors are not on the ballot this time. Longtime Council President John Mc Curry is not in the running, nor are Councilors Stephen St. Cyr and Michael Ready.

Candidates for Biddeford School Committee are incumbents Nathan Bean, Randy Forcier, Amy Grohman, Rebecca Henry, and Lisa Vadnais, along with Meagan Desjardins, Michele Landry, and Lauren Schuyler-Giddings.

School Committee members Dominic Deschambault and Karen Ruel are not running in the Nov. 2 election.

Kathleen Pinard is unopposed for Ward 7 Warden and is the sole candidate — no one stepped up to run in the other six wards. Similarly, for Ward Clerk, Odette Garnick is unopposed in Ward 1 and Jill Fogg is unopposed in Ward 7. There are no Ward Clerk candidates for Wards 2-6.

Anyone mulling a write-in candidacy must register their intent to do so with the City Clerk’s Office before the close of business on the fifth day prior to the election, according to the Biddeford City Charter.

Absentee ballots are expected to be available around Oct. 4, and must be requested by Thursday, Oct. 28, according to City Clerk Carmen Morris and may be picked up from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall. Registered voters may request absentee ballots by phone at 284-9307, or electronically at: http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl.  Absentee ballots must be turned into the City Clerk by 8 p.m. on election day.

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