Progressive candidate Ben Chin lost the Lewiston mayoral race to conservative city councilor Shane Bouchard by 145 votes, with 7,181 ballots cast in a snowy special run-off election yesterday. Speaking to supporters after the results were announced last night, however, Chin struck a positive tone.
“I just want to say how honored and humbled I am by all of you. This was a grueling battle and I could not be prouder of how all of us have conducted ourselves and what we have built together, what we have stood for,” said Chin.
Chin ran on a detailed policy platform with specific ideas for tackling the opioid epidemic, creating livable housing, boosting small businesses and establishing a city jobs corps.
It was the second mayoral election cycle for Chin, who challenged incumbent mayor Bob Macdonald unsuccessfully in 2015 in a race that saw signs with racist caricatures attacking Chin posted on downtown buildings. This year, Bouchard, Macdonald and the Maine Republican Party again attacked Chin along racial lines.
In his remarks, Chin invoked the “Mr. Fusion” machine from the movie Back to the Future 2 as a metaphor for how Lewiston residents have shown they can turn that kind of “garbage” into energy.
“The main thing that we are shifting, that I feel in myself and I see in all of you, is we are growing our capacity as a community to take in all this garbage, all these insults, all these lies, all this nonsense and we are going to turn it into something beautiful,” said Chin. “Take whatever disappointment that you have right now and decide to make something beautiful with it. Because if we keep doing that, there’s no telling what we can do together.”
Chin said that despite the loss, he saw hopeful signs for the city’s future, including increasing integration and participation by immigrants to Lewiston.
“There is nothing that gives me more hope for the world than seeing all the new citizens who have found safety and a new life here and have made the commitment to this country and our community by becoming American citizens and voting today. It is historic,” said Chin.
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