{"id":11804,"date":"2026-09-25T19:07:42","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/andrew-zarro\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T19:07:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:42","slug":"andrew-zarro","status":"publish","type":"candidate","link":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/andrew-zarro\/","title":{"rendered":"Andrew Zarro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Previous Offices Held<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Elected to Portland City Council, District 4, in 2020 and served from 2020 to 2023. Ran for Portland Mayor in 2023 and finished second, receiving 48.5% of the vote in the final ranked-choice round.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Top Three Priorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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My top priorities are fighting for Portland in Augusta on affordability, housing, and property tax relief; fully funding public education and public services; and building safer, healthier communities through transportation, climate, and infrastructure investment. I will also be a strong voice for workers, renters, reproductive freedom, tribal sovereignty, and LGBTQ+ rights. When Portland thrives, Maine thrives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Why are you running?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I love this city, and I\u2019m running to fight for Portland in Augusta. I deeply believe neighboring is a verb, and we have to work every day to look out for one another. I\u2019ve served this community as city councilor, small business owner, nonprofit leader, and neighbor. On the council, I worked on housing, transportation, climate, public safety, and constituent services. I know how state decisions show up in local budgets and daily life, and I\u2019ll bring Portland\u2019s voice and values to the Legislature.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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What is one way Maine is on the right track? What is one way the state is on the wrong track?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Maine is on the right track when we protect reproductive freedom, implement paid family medical leave, invest in public education, support climate action, and strengthen communities. But we are on the wrong track when working people cannot afford housing, property taxes, child care, health care, or basic needs. Augusta needs to do more to help cities like Portland address affordability and keep people rooted here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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As one of several dozen legislators in your chamber, how would you make a measurable difference for your constituents?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I would bring local government experience, strong relationships, and a record of service to Augusta. On the City Council, I worked directly with residents, city staff, advocates, and neighborhoods to solve problems and move policy. I would be accessible, responsive and relentless about delivering for Portland on housing, education funding, transportation, public services and affordability.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Surveys show the economy is the top concern of voters. What is a specific proposal addressing Maine voters\u2019 economic anxieties that you\u2019d work to make law?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I would work to pass a housing and property tax relief package that funds affordable housing, supports municipal infrastructure for new homes, expands the homestead exemption and property tax fairness credit, and allows a local option sales tax so service center communities like Portland can reduce pressure on property taxpayers while investing in housing, schools, and essential services.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10925,"template":"","meta":{"voter_guide_candidate_first_name":"Andrew","voter_guide_candidate_middle_name":"Jordan","voter_guide_candidate_last_name":"Zarro","voter_guide_candidate_suffix":"","voter_guide_candidate_race_id":11803,"voter_guide_candidate_age":38,"voter_guide_candidate_hometown":"","voter_guide_candidate_occupation":"Executive Director, Bicycle Coalition of Maine","voter_guide_candidate_bio":"Former Portland City Councilor, small business owner, nonprofit leader, and community advocate focused on affordability, safe streets, housing, climate, and public service.","voter_guide_candidate_education":"Bachelor\u2019s degree in Economics, University of Vermont; Master of Public Administration, Northeastern University","voter_guide_candidate_years_in_municipality":"","voter_guide_candidate_headshot_url":"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/open?id=16YLAOqFMilzvpgSpD_rCQv9FBNYyKmWM","voter_guide_candidate_date_filed":"","footnotes":""},"vg_party":[1073],"vg_residence_municipality":[],"class_list":["post-11804","candidate","type-candidate","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","vg_party-democratic"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/candidate"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11805,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11804\/revisions\/11805"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"vg_party","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_party?post=11804"},{"taxonomy":"vg_residence_municipality","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_residence_municipality?post=11804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}