It wasn’t the Washington State gubernatorial controversy and it wasn’t a Boxer Rebellion in Ohio. For USM political science major Jason Toothaker, the race for a seat on the Portland School Board came down to the closest possible margin: one vote. Maine Superior Court Justice Thomas Warren ruled on December 4 that Green Party candidate Toothaker won the race against Julia Finn, a Democrat, 3,219 votes to 3,218. Toothaker found himself the city’s District 3 representative, which includes the neighborhoods of Deering, Stroudwater and Rosemont.
Toothaker initially decided to run for elected office while he interned for State Representative John Eder, who is the highest ranking Green Party official in the country. The experience with Eder, who has built a strong base of support in the West End, showed Toothaker how rewarding it can be to work with a constituency. “I learned quickly that politics is a fluid process and as such, it was important to build as many bridges and networks as possible. Working for him has been inspirational in my life; he taught me that politics isn’t just in the halls of Congress or in the White House,” said Toothaker. “Working for John, I learned the same thing that he shows an increasing number of his constituents daily: that as people, we do have access to our local and state officials. If you are dedicated to making change or pushing an issue that’s important to you, avenues for change exist.”
Toothaker said that he plans to use emulate the accessibility that Eder has displayed in Augusta. Toothaker put the pressures of balancing school and school board to work for him. As part of an independent study, he is currently working with USM Career Services Professor and State Representative Larry Bliss (D-South Portland) to create a model by which elected officials can maximize public input before making decisions.
While his internship at Eder’s office inspired him to public service, it was not until he was working for the League of Pissed off Voters and a school board member encouraged him to run. “Before I knew it I was a candidate for office.”
While Finn, a Yale graduate, raised over $3400 dollars, Toothaker raised $810. “I got a few small checks from family, friends and neighbors.” He said. The credit, he says, goes to his friends who stayed up making signs until 4 a.m. and knocking on doors on his behalf. The initial election results gave Finn a lead of five votes and the subsequent recount reduced that number to one.Warren sorted through six disputed ballots and awarded Toothaker the one vote victory. Toothaker said that as a Green his responsibility is to “The 3,219 people who voted for me, as well as the 3,218 people who did not. Those who win as Greens do so by talking to nearly every voter in the district. To me, a great candidate isn’t one who is ‘due for the position.’ A great candidate is one who feels comfortable approaching any citizen and listening to what they have to say.”
The position of an elected official in Portland isn’t going to do much for Toothaker’s wallet. He’ll earn a meager salary of $230 per month. “That’s one of the great things about being a Green. A lot of us are poor. I live in a ghetto apartment building on a nice street. I go to school full time and make barely enough money to pay rent.”
Toothaker is optimistic for the future of the Green Party in Portland. “Jeff Spencer ran a hell of a campaign for the Parkside/Bayside State House seat. He faced a very popular incumbent, and was narrowly defeated. Pamela Craigin also ran an awesome campaign against a very popular incumbent. She’s the prototypical people’s candidate. As Greens we have the candidates that are the most connected to the general public. We pride ourselves on our relationship to our community. I see success for the party as long as we don’t lose that connection with the average person.”
Despite holding elected office at such a young age, Toothaker isn’t sure of his political aspirations. “I just want to serve my three years on the School Board as best I can. Maybe after that, I’ll backpack Europe or go be a snowboard bum for a while, or maybe I’ll run again. I don’t really know.”