SOUTH PORTLAND – South Portland’s two new city councilors say the support of the local citizen advocacy group Protect South Portland played a key role in their election last week.

Both former Mayor Claude Morgan, who handily beat incumbent Michael Pock in the District 1 race, and Brad Fox, who defeated Alan Livingston in District 5, credit Protect South Portland for its efforts on their behalf.

Morgan and Fox have both supported the local ban on so-called tar sands oil. And, when Morgan was mayor in 2007, he signed the Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, which committed South Portland to reducing its carbon emissions.

Fox ran on a platform of protecting the air and water in South Portland, as well as expanding green space in the city. He also pledged to support a solar farm at the city’s former landfill and to help implement the new Climate Action Plan if elected.

This week, Fox called the members of Protect South Portland, “a smart, forward-looking group of folks with great ideas on how to make South Portland a better place for all of us to live. Their support played a huge role in my election.”

In addition to endorsing Morgan, Fox and District 2 City Councilor Patti Smith, who ran unopposed, Protect South Portland also actively campaigned on behalf of the three candidates.

In the case of Morgan and Fox, in particular, that campaign assistance was based entirely on volunteer labor and included making signs, writing letters to the editor, going door to door handing out campaign literature, making phone calls and showing up at the polling stations on Election Day to encourage people to vote for the two candidates.

“It’s highly unlikely that I could have won without the strong backing of the citizens who identify themselves with Protect South Portland,” Fox said this week.

“I firmly believe that Protect South Portland helped secure my election by endorsing my candidacy,” Morgan added.

Protect South Portland, which initially formed in March 2013 under the name Concerned Citizens of South Portland, is a nonprofit, group dedicated to keeping tar-sands products out of the city.

On March 13, 2013, the City Council held a workshop to discuss a proposal from the Portland Pipe Line Corp. to pump tar sands from Alberta, Canada, via the Portland-to-Montreal pipeline for export. That meeting drew 400-plus residents, who were opposed to reversing the pipeline.

Following that meeting, the Concerned Citizens of South Portland, which had realigned as Protect South Portland, then worked in support of the Waterfront Protection Ordinance, which was designed to prohibit tar sands oil from coming into the city.

That ordinance narrowly failed at the polls in November 2013, but the group worked hard to lobby the City Council to create its own local ordinance that would ban all tar sands products.

That lobbying effort resulted in passage of the so-called clear skies ordinance, a local ban on tar sands, which the City Council approved in mid-July.

Pock was the only councilor to vote against the measure. His opposition was based on his concern for jobs and because he didn’t want to limit the ability of oil companies in South Portland to evolve based on market demand. Pock declined to comment for this story. Livingston, a former city councilor and school board member, didn’t return a call seeking comment.

This week, Mary-Jane Ferrier, a spokeswoman for Protect South Portland, said her group is “very pleased with last week’s election results.”

She added, “We have a stellar City Council, and this means it will remain so. Moreover, the council will continue its support of the clear skies ordinance and that’s a big plus for the city.”

As to why Protect South Portland made the decision to not only endorse candidates for City Council, but also to actively campaign on their behalf, Ferrier said, “Since our goal has been to protect South Portland from the transport of dirty oil through the city, (we) wanted to ensure (the election of) city councilors who would share that goal. We also recognized that two of those running for open seats had much to offer the city in many other ways.”

When asked if she foresees Protect South Portland taking an active role in future elections, Ferrier said, “We are in the process of assembling many of our supporters to join us in taking a look at what our future (goals) should be.”

Overall, she said, what residents can take away from the ultimate passage of the tar-sands ban and last week’s election is “the power that we as citizens really have if we find ways to work together for the common good.”

In Fox’s opinion, there is no doubt that Protect South Portland has now become a force in city politics.

“I expect that they will be a permanent force for positive change and make sure we keep South Portland moving forward,” he said.

Fox said the group’s impact on the election was a positive thing. “We want people to participate in our civic life. That’s what our democracy is all about,” he said.

Morgan called Protect South Portland “a sophisticated grassroots organization” and said many of the group’s members are not only active in citywide affairs, but in their own neighborhoods, as well.

In his opinion, the group’s power comes from its members “who care deeply about their community and who are willing to actively participate in local government to ensure that their values are heard and considered in local decisions.”

Morgan added, “These volunteers are passionate, driven and motivated to work within the existing framework of local government. That’s a recipe for successful representation in local politics.”

Protect South Portland is not unique, Morgan said, pointing out that the city has enjoyed “a rich history of this form of local activism. Indeed, many of our strongest neighborhood associations have their roots in similar activism.”

Overall, he said, “South Portlanders should be very proud of their turnout at the polls. We are a very active and vibrant community, the best of the best voters. And earning the trust of a community that participates so passionately in our democracy is an honor few elected officials can tout.”

Morgan said he ran on “a simple and consistent message,” which is that residents “want responsible stewardship of our environment and seek to link that passion for a healthy lifestyle with far-reaching plans for a sustainable economy.”

Both Fox and Morgan also thanked their supporters and said they are proud to represent South Portland. Both also pledged to work collaboratively and creatively to keep the city on a positive path.

The City Council was set to caucus on selecting a new mayor on Wednesday, after the Current’s deadline. City Councilor Linda Cohen, who has one year left on her first term, said she hopes to become South Portland’s next mayor.

Her goals, if selected for the post, include making “progress toward the installation of (a) solar farm and continu(ing) to look for ways to save on how we heat and power our buildings and vehicles.” In addition, Cohen would “love to see natural gas lines expanded in the city.”

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A CLOSER LOOK

The South Portland City Council was set to caucus on choosing the city’s next mayor on Wednesday, after the Current’s deadline. The inauguration and swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected council members will be held at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1, at City Hall.