Maine state Rep. Grayson Lookner is seeking not one but two political offices representing Portland this election season.

Grayston Lookner Contributed photo

The 40-year-old Democrat has already served two terms in the Maine House of Representatives and is seeking a third in November. Simultaneously, he has mounted his first run for City Council, eyeing an at-large seat being vacated by Roberto Rodriguez.

Spokespeople for the city of Portland and the Maine House of Representatives said on Wednesday that it is perfectly legal for Lookner to run for both offices at once.

Michelle Dunphy, assistant clerk of the House, said it is “fairly common” for representatives to simultaneously hold local office. However, Jessica Grondin, Portland’s spokesperson, said in her decade working for the city she has never seen a city councilor also serve in the State House.

The last time a Portland city councilor simultaneously served in the state Legislature was when Gerry Conley Sr. held a seat in the Maine Senate during his council tenure from 1968-1977, Grondin said, and Jill Duson served on the City Council when she ran for state Senate in 2018, but she ultimately lost that race.

Lookner, who also works part time as political consultant, said in a phone interview Wednesday that he hopes to take on both roles at once because he thinks the city should have a stronger connection to Augusta.

“I think it would be beneficial for the city to be well-versed in what the state and federal government are doing around housing (and be) someone who can champion the issue,” Lookner said.

He said housing is his biggest policy priority for both the council and the Legislature, though transportation and climate change mitigation are close behind.

“In my work in the Legislature on the housing committee, I saw that there is a lot more that the city could be doing around housing,” he said, adding that he understands how the state and city could work together on innovative housing projects.

“When I looked at the field of candidates who had declared, I didn’t see anyone who would be able to work on the housing issue in a really informed way,” Lookner said.

As of Monday, two other candidates had officially qualified to run for the city’s at-large seat, Brandon Mazer and Jacob Viola. The deadline to qualify is on Monday.

While he acknowledged the significant time commitment of both roles, Lookner said he feels confident he would be able to succeed in both.

“It’s not going to be without challenges, but I am dedicated and passionate to give my all to both positions, and I’ll find a way to make it work,” he said.

Lookner said that should he win both elections, he plans to commute between Augusta and Portland for meetings. He noted that legislative and council meetings may overlap, but he believes it would be rare that he would need to skip one meeting for another.

However, Portland Mayor Mark Dion, who served in the Maine Senate and House of Representatives for eight years before running for Portland City Council and eventually mayor, is skeptical that Lookner could do a good job in both demanding roles.

“I guess if he’s willing to do that, he’s forfeiting sleep,” Dion said.

“To shuttle back and forth, something’s gotta give,” he said. “I’m more of a traditionalist. I’d rather do one job at a time and do it well, and give it the attention it deserves.”

Dion said that a strong partnership already exists between the city and the state Legislature in the form of the council’s legislative committee and lobbying team. He said he doesn’t see the value in holding both positions for either body.

Lookner, however, said in his time as a state representative he has not always felt informed about the work of the council. He thinks the relationship between the two bodies could be strengthened.

While Dion admitted that he has known representatives who have served on town councils or as selectmen while also holding a seat in the Legislature, he said it doesn’t compare to the demands of the Portland City Council.

“It takes time and there is significant constituent demand for you to address things, attend functions and be engaged in the community,” Dion said. “It’s a far greater pressure than when I was working in the State House.”

Ultimately, Dion and Lookner agreed that the voters will be the ones to decide if serving in both roles will help the city, or be too much.

“It’s really a conversation between him and his constituents,” Dion said.