Lewis was chosen as mayor of Portland

Thirty years ago this week, a handful of precinct committeemen selected a new mayor.

The June 15, 1993, edition of The Commercial Review featured coverage of a Democratic caucus that selected Maxine Lewis as Portland’s new mayor. The first woman to serve as the city’s mayor, she was chosen to take over for Vaughn Bailey following his death on May 24, 1993.

Lewis was chosen from a group of candidates that included Fred Bailey, Fred Glessner and Forrest Hartzell, though only Lewis and Fred Bailey attended the meeting.

Democratic precinct committeemen Jim Hedges, Carl Ashman, Fred Jetter and Sue Boyd, needed only about four minutes to select Lewis, who had served as the secretary for the mayor of Portland for the previous eight years.

Fred Bailey congratulated Lewis following her selection.

“I know a lot people said no one should want this job,” said Lewis. “But I’ve found it interesting in the past eight years. (City council members) have all offered to work with me and have been behind me.”

Lewis, 59, narrowly lost to Vaughn Bailey in the 1991 Democratic primary. A Portland High School graduate, she had previously worked at Citizens State Bank, Saratoga State Bank and the Jay Garment Co.

Portland City Council members praised her selection.

“That’s the way I thought it’d come out and the way I hoped it would come out, so I guess you know how I voted,” said Jetter, who also praised council president Neil Medler who served as acting mayor during Vaughn Bailey’s illness.

“I thought of all the candidates names I heard, she was the best candidate,” said Medler. “We are in a position where some pretty important executive decisions must be made and I had a genuine concern for the best interests of the city.”