Current Role: City Councilor, Ward 6
Occupation: Attorney
Website: norm4mayor.com

Norman Belanger, a lifelong Biddeford resident, has served on the City Council since 2017 and previously as Council President. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he brings over four decades of legal experience representing small businesses and guiding fiscal decisions. Belanger emphasizes collaboration, fiscal discipline, and long-term planning to ensure Biddeford continues its downtown revitalization while remaining affordable and livable.

Belanger’s priorities include addressing the housing crisis through local and regional cooperation, supporting small businesses with creative financial programs, and maintaining open public participation in government. He also underscores the importance of giving working-class residents a stronger voice in city policy and promoting economic advancement through job creation and business growth.

On sustainability, Belanger supports implementation of the Biddeford Climate Action Plan through actionable recommendations from the Sustainability Committee. He has championed a conservation easement for Clifford Park and helped draft the city’s public art ordinance, reinforcing his commitment to preserving Biddeford’s character and inclusivity. He affirms that intolerance has no place in the city and supports cultural awareness and immigrant safety initiatives.

Read Norman Belanger’s full questionnaire response →

Current Role / Occupation: Mayor
Website: martymayor.com

Marty Grohman has served as Mayor of Biddeford since 2021 and previously as a State Representative and City Councilor. With over 25 years as a resident, Grohman emphasizes continued growth, community partnerships, and strong city management. During his term, he highlights helping to house 70 unhoused residents, conserving 278 acres of land, and hiring Biddeford’s first female City Manager as key accomplishments.

Grohman’s approach to housing focuses on expanding supply, noting that under his leadership Biddeford has approved more affordable housing than any other Maine city in recent years. His economic goals center on maintaining the city’s momentum through events, foot traffic, and business activity that sustain a thriving downtown.

He also supports long-term labor contracts that provide better pay and stability for public employees, expanding solar and bike infrastructure, and protecting Clifford Park through a conservation easement. Grohman advocates for inclusion and safety for immigrant residents, having written letters of support for those detained by ICE. He continues to promote public art and cultural initiatives that make Biddeford an engaging place to live and visit.

Read Marty Grohman’s full questionnaire response →

Current Role: City Council President, Ward 7 Representative
Occupation: Senior Data Analyst
Website: lafountainformayor.com

Born and raised in Biddeford, Liam LaFountain has served on the City Council since 2021 and as Council President since 2023. In his tenure, he has helped pass Biddeford’s inclusionary zoning ordinance, championed the city’s first opioid settlement strategic plan, and chaired the Capital Projects and Operations Committee overseeing major infrastructure and community improvements.

LaFountain’s platform focuses on housing affordability, economic fairness, and sustainability. He supports strengthening tenant protections, addressing vacant properties, and ensuring public benefits are tied to all development incentives. On sustainability, he advocates for compact, walkable neighborhoods, expanded transit options, and implementation of the Biddeford Climate Action Plan.

He also emphasizes government transparency, equitable access to city resources, and inclusion of working-class and immigrant residents in civic decision-making. LaFountain supports protecting Clifford Park through a permanent conservation easement and maintaining affordable spaces for local artists.

Read Liam LaFountain’s full questionnaire response →

Position: City Council, At-Large
Occupation: Social Worker / Community Organizer
Website: nasreenforbiddeford.com

Nasreen Sheikh-Yousef is a community organizer and advocate with a background in social work and supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use challenges. A former Charter Commissioner for the City of Portland (2021–2022), she now lives in Ward 5 and serves on the Heart of Biddeford Board of Directors. Her campaign focuses on building power among working-class and marginalized residents to achieve greater social, racial, and economic justice.

Sheikh-Yousef’s priorities include expanding tenant protections, exploring rent control and assistance programs, and supporting grant funding to help small businesses manage rising costs. She emphasizes grassroots organizing and building relationships to create community-driven solutions to systemic challenges.

A strong supporter of public access and environmental justice, she backs a conservation easement for Clifford Park and wants all public spaces to remain open and accessible. She also advocates for strengthening local arts initiatives through community nonprofits, expanding racial equity, and ensuring Biddeford’s policies reflect inclusivity and belonging for all residents.

Read Nasreen Sheikh-Yousef’s full questionnaire response →

Position: City Council, Ward 1
Occupation: Retired Registered Nurse
Website: None listed

A lifelong Biddeford resident, Patricia Boston brings over five decades of community involvement and prior experience on both the City Council and School Committee. Her civic engagement includes roles with the Hills Beach Association, Age Friendly Biddeford, St. Louis Alumni Association, and McArthur Library Board of Directors. Boston’s perspective blends long-term local knowledge with a focus on transparent, fiscally responsible governance.

Her top priorities include addressing the housing crisis by reassessing progress from the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force and expanding opportunities for workforce and first-time homebuyer housing. She emphasizes collaboration among city officials, staff, and residents to ensure future planning aligns with community needs.

Boston supports local small businesses through Buy Local campaigns, community partnerships, and responsible economic growth that sustains Biddeford’s character. On sustainability, she calls for regular evaluation and measurable progress toward the city’s Climate Action Plan goals. While supportive of long-term protection for Clifford Park, she notes she would seek to better understand the legal framework of a conservation easement before final approval.

Read Patricia Boston’s full questionnaire response →

Position: City Council, Ward 1
Occupation: Former Executive Director, Biddeford & Saco Chamber of Commerce (Retired)
Website: None listed

James “Jim” LaBelle is a longtime community leader and former Executive Director of the Biddeford & Saco Chamber of Commerce, where he served for seven years before retiring in 2025. A Ward 1 resident since 2018, LaBelle brings extensive experience in regional collaboration, business development, and civic engagement. He currently serves as Vice President of the Fortunes Rocks Association, a Saco River Corridor Commissioner, a Rotary Club member, and a City Theater volunteer.

LaBelle’s priorities focus on expanding housing supply and improving affordability through creativity and balance. He supports encouraging homeowners to utilize Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), introducing a vacancy tax for long-term empty rentals, and promoting regional collaboration to stabilize housing costs.

For small businesses, LaBelle emphasizes maintaining a safe, accessible, and attractive downtown with predictable tax rates, active public spaces, and workforce housing options. He supports implementation of the city’s Climate Action Plan, protecting Clifford Park through a conservation easement, and continuing programs like Art Walk and Art of Biddeford that strengthen Biddeford’s creative identity. His platform highlights practical, steady leadership to make Biddeford a more livable, equitable, and economically vibrant city.

Read Jim LaBelle’s full questionnaire response →

Position: City Council, Ward 2
Occupation: York County Homeless Response Hub Coordinator
Website: Facebook | Instagram @abigailforbiddeford

Abigail Woods is a community advocate and coordinator for the York County Homeless Response Hub, bringing a decade of civic engagement in Biddeford and experience connecting people with housing and social-service resources. A member of the City’s Recycling and Waste Management Commission and a volunteer with Heart of Biddeford, City Theater, Better Biddeford, and the Twin City Tenants’ Alliance, Woods centers her campaign on community, creativity, and compassion.

Her top priority is tackling the housing crisis through data-driven, resident-focused solutions. She calls for building housing truly affordable to Biddeford’s average workers and families, expanding beyond age-restricted units, and strengthening tenant protections. Woods also supports greater engagement with small business owners and better data collection to inform policies that sustain local entrepreneurship.

Woods advocates for implementing the Biddeford Climate Action Plan, introducing an environmental-impact memo for Council proposals, and protecting Clifford Park through a conservation easement. She supports expanding arts initiatives like Art of Biddeford and the Public Art Commission, and fostering neighbor-to-neighbor connections that make the city inclusive and welcoming for immigrant and working-class residents alike.

Read Abigail Woods’s full questionnaire response →

Position: City Council, Ward 4
Occupation: Vendor Relations Specialist
Website: None listed

Dylan Doughty currently serves as Ward 4 City Councilor and sits on the Traffic Committee, where he has worked to make Biddeford’s streets safer and more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists. Formerly a Planning Board member, Doughty brings experience in land-use policy and local governance, guided by a commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and community-driven decision-making.

His priorities include expanding affordable housing beyond state-subsidized projects by applying inclusionary zoning citywide and exploring the use of city-owned land for mixed-income developments. Doughty also supports improving fiscal oversight to keep property taxes manageable for residents and small businesses alike.

He has strongly supported the city’s sustainability initiatives, including the conservation of over 250 acres of forestland behind South Street and policies requiring new developments to be solar- and EV-ready. Doughty backs a conservation easement for Clifford Park, supports the work of the Arts Commission, and advocates for neighborhood-based council meetings to strengthen civic engagement and give working-class residents a greater voice in city government.

Read Dylan Doughty’s full questionnaire response →

Position: City Council, Ward 4
Occupation: Direct Support Professional (PSS, CRMA, BHP)
Website: Facebook Profile

Bob Mills is a longtime Biddeford resident with more than 25 years in the city and a history of public service. He previously served 12 years on the City Council and six years as York County Treasurer. Mills has been active in community and faith circles, including New Life Fellowship Church, and is focused on representing all residents—“from the poor and downtrodden to the deep-pocketed developers.”

Mills’ platform centers on tax relief, housing affordability, and fiscal restraint. He advocates for a tax and spending freeze to prevent residents from being “taxed out of their homes” and supports a rental stabilization program to help tenants manage rising costs. He has criticized developer deals that label units as “affordable” without meeting true affordability standards and calls for new approaches to workforce housing that ensure residents spend no more than 30–40% of income on rent and utilities.

Mills supports reviving small business credit enhancement programs, promoting local ownership, and advancing Biddeford’s Climate Action Plan through regional cooperation. He also backs a conservation easement for Clifford Park and champions long-term housing stability as key to keeping artists and working families rooted in the community.

Read Bob Mills’s full questionnaire response →

Position: City Council, Ward 5
Occupation: Attorney
Website: davidkurtzforbiddeford.me

David Kurtz is an attorney specializing in financial reconstruction and corporate law, with a background in economics and life sciences. A Ward 5 resident since 2021, he is deeply engaged in city affairs—regularly attending Council meetings, serving on the Recycling and Waste Committee, and studying key city documents such as the Comprehensive Plan, Climate Action Plan, and Affordable Housing Report. Kurtz describes himself as a “city-planning nerd” dedicated to transparency, fairness, and rigorous oversight.

His housing platform focuses on expanding density, promoting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and encouraging the conversion of existing homes and buildings to multi-unit or mixed-use housing. Kurtz supports rent stabilization, rental registries, and potential taxes on long-term vacant or seasonal properties to bring units back online and improve affordability.

Kurtz is a strong advocate for environmental protection, sustainability, and conservation, expressing clear support for protecting Clifford Park and other public spaces while emphasizing careful legal review of easement terms. He supports Heart of Biddeford and local businesses, endorses a vacant storefront tax, and stresses communication between government and business owners before major decisions. His direct, plainspoken approach reflects a commitment to process, accountability, and equitable growth.

Read David Kurtz’s full questionnaire response →

Position: City Council, Ward 6
Occupation: Nursery Professional / Owner, Pierson Nurseries
Website: Facebook Profile

Born and raised in Biddeford, Jake Pierson returned to the community in 2014 and has been deeply involved in civic and environmental initiatives. He currently serves on the Policy Committee and is working to help establish a conservation easement for Clifford Park in collaboration with the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Professionally, Pierson owns and operates Pierson Nurseries in nearby Dayton, a regional grower supplying trees and shrubs across New England.

Pierson’s priorities include reducing property tax pressures, expanding affordable housing, and having the City take a more active role in housing development through the use of municipal land and resources. He supports maintaining strong infrastructure and fostering collaboration between the City and small business owners to ensure Biddeford remains a welcoming place to start and grow a business.

As an environmental professional, Pierson emphasizes green space planning, urban tree planting, and park revitalization as key sustainability strategies. He supports empowering the Public Art Commission and Heart of Biddeford to strengthen the city’s creative community and believes in maintaining Biddeford’s identity as a city of immigrants, ensuring local policies reflect inclusivity and respect.

Read Jake Pierson’s full questionnaire response →

Position: City Council, Ward 7
Occupation: Real Estate Professional / Housing Policy Researcher
Website: pecorforcouncil.com | Facebook Profile

Sam Pecor is an independent candidate and real estate professional focused on housing reform, civic access, and government transparency. With hands-on experience in small-scale property renovation and policy research, Pecor brings a data-driven and systems-oriented approach to local government. He has participated in the Greater Portland Board of Realtors’ Sustainability Advisory Group, local cleanup initiatives, and policy meetings focused on zoning, permitting, and housing equity.

Pecor’s housing plan emphasizes predictability, efficiency, and accountability. He calls for a comprehensive rezoning initiative, clearer design standards, and streamlined permitting timelines. His proposals include fee deferrals for small-scale rehab projects, a city land policy requiring affordability terms, and the creation of a rehab program to bring existing housing units back online.

His sustainability agenda aligns with the city’s Climate Action Plan, focusing on practical steps such as LED streetlight optimization, tree canopy expansion, and organics composting programs. Pecor supports a conservation easement for Clifford Park provided that it preserves public access and includes clear stewardship and funding. He also advocates for greater accessibility in city government—offering evening office hours, childcare options at meetings, and participatory micro-grants to engage residents in shaping neighborhood priorities.

Read Sam Pecor’s full questionnaire response →