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Richard Matthews and Natalie West were elected Tuesday to fill two open at-large seats on the South Portland City Council.

West, a political newcomer, topped the four-way race with 7,115 votes and Matthews, a former school board member, received 6,448 votes. Candidates Steven Silver finished with 4,264 votes and Brendan Williams received 3,375.

They were running to replace Susan Henderson, who did not seek reelection after two three-year terms, and to fill a seat that has been vacant since Katie Bruzgo resigned in April.

All four candidates said the housing crisis is the city’s biggest problem. Hundreds of asylum-seekers and homeless people have been sheltering in local hotels since the beginning of the pandemic and housing costs have skyrocketed in the city.

Gillian Graham is a general assignment reporter for the Portland Press Herald. A lifelong Mainer and graduate of the University of Southern Maine, she has worked as a journalist since 2005 and joined the...

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