Two-term Portland City Councilor April Fournier will run for the Maine Legislature in November rather than seek reelection to her council seat.
Fournier, who in 2020 became the first Indigenous person elected to the Portland council, announced Monday on social media that she plans to run for the House District 114 seat, which is made up largely of the city’s East Deering neighborhood.
“It has been my honor and privilege to serve Portland on the city council for the past 5 1/2 years,” she said. “As the first Native woman to be elected to this office I have been so aware of the space that I have held and the privilege I’ve had to share history, issues and perspectives not normally heard in our council chambers.”
Fournier said she plans to take her “energy, knowledge and ideas” to Augusta.
“The most important lesson I’ve learned since being elected…is that we do not govern alone,” she said. “Building relationships is the foundation of good governance and seeing the humanity in each other is a value I hold very high.”
Dylan Pugh, a Portland mayoral candidate in 2023, was elected to the District 114 seat in November 2024. Pugh said Monday that he is not seeking reelection.
Fournier’s announcement means that two of the three sitting councilors with terms expiring this year will not be on the council next term. Last month, Councilor Kate Sykes announced she will not seek reelection to the District 5 seat.
Councilor Anna Bullett, who represents District 4, is also up for reelection in November.
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