WESTBROOK – With the Republican and Democratic caucuses about to fire the starting gun for the 2011 elections, Bruce Chuluda, who lost to Colleen Hilton in the 2009 mayor’s race by 100 votes, said he is “strongly” considering challenging Hilton again.

“I’m certainly leaning toward throwing my hat in the ring,” Chuluda said Tuesday.

Chuluda said he will wait to gauge the response from his party at the Republican caucus, which begins Sunday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. at the Westbrook Community Center.

“I am considering it,” he said. “I’m going to the caucus Sunday night, and we’ll see what support we have.”

Westbrook is one of a few municipalities in Maine to have a strong-mayor form of government. The position’s powers include the ability to set council meeting agendas, hire and fire city staff and veto council decisions.

Chuluda served three consecutive terms as mayor before losing to Hilton in 2009, making her Westbrook’s first female mayor. In past mayoral races, Chuluda bested incumbent Mayor Don Esty and twice defeated former City Councilor Jim Violette. Hilton beat Chuluda 3,472-3,357, with little more than 100 votes separating the two candidates.

Despite that loss, Chuluda said he isn’t afraid to run again.

“I didn’t lose by much,” he said. “I have no concerns at all about challenging Mrs. Hilton. In fact, I’m looking forward to it.”

Hilton confirmed this week that she will seek nomination for mayor at the Democratic caucus, which is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Westbrook Middle School.

“I’m anticipating that they’ll nominate me at the caucus,” she said.

When asked how she felt about a possible Chuluda challenge, Hilton only said, “It would be an interesting race.”

In addition to the mayor, all seven city councilors are up for re-election this year, as well as the Ward 1, 2, and 5 School Committee members, plus one at-large School Committee member. Voters will also choose a new warden and ward clerk, as well as a new city clerk. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

In Westbrook, any unenrolled, or non-Democrat, non-Republican candidates, are now free to obtain nomination papers from the city clerk’s office, but Democrats and Republicans must be officially nominated at their respective caucuses before they may run.

Most of the incumbents are expected to run for re-election, but party sources said this week that City Councilor Dorothy Aube and School Committee member Greg Smith, both Democrats, may not be seeking nominations this year. Neither official was available for comment.

So far, no clear challengers have emerged to take on the incumbents outside of the mayor’s race. Democrat Drew Gattine said this week that while he supports his Democratic candidates, he welcomes contested races.

“I think it’s better for the voter to go into the booth and have a choice,” he said.

Gattine said he is fully backing Hilton in her re-election bid.

“I’m real happy with the job she’s done over the past two years,” he said.

Gattine, who is chairman of the Charter Commission, acknowledged that there is a need for more staggered elections. That is something he and the commission hope to address in the revising of the city charter, which dictates the election cycle and the lengths of terms.

“There’s certainly some strong sentiment out there to change the lengths of the terms and to stagger the terms,” he said.

City Councilor John O’Hara, the council’s lone Republican, said he was part of that sentiment, noting that School Committee terms are too long at four years, while City Council terms are too short at two years.

“I hope the charter commission will now take a serious look at that,” he said.

O’Hara said he realized the caucus was taking place on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but that the public should look at the caucus as a clear sign that terrorists will not prevent Americans from fulfilling their patriotic duty.

“We are a country of patriots, and I find it very patriotic that we hold to our values, even in times of crisis,” he said.