Susan Deschambault and Martin Grohman Contributed photos
BIDDEFORD — Martin Grohman and Susan Deschambault, the two candidates facing off in Biddeford’s mayoral race, have both secured high profile endorsements ahead of the Nov. 7 election. Current mayor Alan Casavant, who is not seeking re-election, has endorsed Grohman, while former Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau has endorsed Deschambault.
The race will be the first time the city has elected a new mayor in 12 years. Whoever is chosen will oversee a changing Biddeford — now one of the youngest and fastest growing communities in Maine — that is struggling with the same housing and homelessness crisis plaguing the rest of the state.
Casavant said he was motivated to endorse someone who is a financial pragmatist that can get things done. “I think it is important to have a mayor who has a solid business sense and who understands pragmatic budgeting; a mayor who is an independent thinker, and who is skilled in objective analysis and implementation,” he wrote on Oct. 17. “That is why I am supporting Marty Grohman for Mayor. ”
Martin Grohman currently represents Ward 3 on the Biddeford City Council where he is a member of the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task force and the Climate Change Working Group. He previously co-founded a manufacturing company and is the executive director of E2Tech, a council of organizations committed to advancing Maine’s cleantech economy. He also served in the Maine House of Representatives from 2014 to 2018.
Casavant echoed that experience in his endorsement. “(Grohman) operated a successful business and understands the value of a dollar. He proved, while in the Maine Legislature, that he was an independent thinker, looking out for what was best for our community, and not for what was politically expedient. Importantly, for the last decade, he has been tremendously involved in many projects and organizations, always helping when needed.”
Grohman, for his part, has said he is well positioned to help continue Casavant’s legacy as mayor because he has a background in business. While mayor, Casavant supported the revitalization of the city’s downtown and oversaw the closing down of a waste-to-energy plant in 2012, which triggered development and economic growth in the area where the former plant had been.
Casavant is not the only high profile Mainer to issue an endorsement in the race. Former House Speaker of Ryan Fecteau recently came out in favor of Susan Deschambault, writing “as our community garners major public and private investments, families who have been here for a long time, stuck it out during tough times, are finding it more and more difficult to afford staying here. I’m voting for Senator Deschambault. We need a leader like Susan who won’t leave long-time Biddeford residents behind while continuing to build upon Biddeford’s renaissance.” Fecteau announced his support in a press release on Sept. 26.
Deschambault currently sits on the city’s Planning Board. Previously, she served on the city’s police commission and as a volunteer on the Biddeford school system policy committee. She was also a Biddeford city councilor for Ward 4 from 2005 until 2009, she later served as the region’s state senator from 2016 to 2022. Prior to serving in public office, Deschambault worked for decades as a social worker for the Maine Department of Corrections.
In his endorsement, Fecteau said he believes that Deschambault will work hard to tackle the housing issues facing the city. “I have served alongside Susan in Augusta. I know how deeply she cares about our hometown. We need her leadership and vision to build a city that all can afford lifelong residents and new folks alike,” Fecteau wrote.
Fecteau, who now works in the governor’s office, was very focused on housing during his stint in the legislature. He sponsored bill LD 2003, which became law in 2022, that mandated all municipalities in Maine update their housing ordinances with the aim of creating more affordable housing and housing stock in general.
The Biddeford Courier does not endorse candidates. The views reported on in this piece do not reflect the views of the Biddeford Courier.
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