Waterville mayoral race: Isgro withdraws, new candidates emerge

In early August, Waterville Mayor Nick Isgro announced that he would not be running for reelection in November after over six years of service. 

Isgro notoriously came under fire for his controversial social media posts, including a tweet targeting a student who survived the Parkland shooting that led to an attempt to recall him in 2018. According to the Morning Sentinel, Isgro cited a desire to focus on his family as the reason behind his withdrawal. 

In the wake of this news, several candidates emerged, eager for their chance to make a mark on Waterville. 

Jay Coelho, a former Waterville city councillor and local businessman who owns You Broke It? and GRUB Restaurant, is running with the support of the Waterville Democratic Committee.

 Notably, there is no Republican opponent, as the Waterville Republican Committee did not present a candidate. 

Coelho’s competition, is Independent Phil Bofia, another former city councillor, who currently works at CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc. in downtown Waterville. 

Both Coelho and Bofia are campaigning on a moderate platform, emphasizing their desire to bridge the current divide of American politics and create a unified community where Watervilians can talk to each other across party lines to create a better Waterville.

“The mayor doesn’t actually have any power in the city of Waterville, which is appealing to me,” Coelho said in an interview with The Colby Echo. “I’m not looking for power. I’m looking to be able to get people to have conversations without fake outrage.”

Bofia seemed to share this sentiment, claiming that he wanted to usher in a new age of “positive politics”- a phrase frequently featured in his press releases and on his social media platforms.

“I want to make sure that we get back to a middle-of-the-road kind of politics,” Bofia said in an interview with The Colby Echo. “We have seen the division within our community. We have seen multiple factions form. We have seen very negative exchanges between people in the community and political leaders. I want to get back to simply serving the people of Waterville unencumbered by any party ideology.” 

Despite all this talk of “positive politics” and unifying conversation, however, Coelho and Bofia have butted heads repeatedly. 

The morning of Sept. 18, Coelho posted an endorsement by the Professional Firefighters of Waterville Local 1608 on his campaign Facebook page. In previous years, Coelho had campaigned to get the Fire Department their own ambulances, rather than relying on outside contractors. This would allow the Fire Department to be paid directly by the hospitals they deliver patients to. 

Within a few hours, Bofia had also posted what appeared to be an endorsement by Local 1608 on his campaign Facebook page. He clarified in another post on Sept. 19 that it was not in fact an endorsement, but simply the Local 1608 highlighting “the many qualities they see in this candidate.”

“I don’t understand why somebody would do that,” Coelho remarked of Bofia’s post. “You’re going to cause controversy. You’re going to make our Fire Department look bad. You’re going to make the electoral process look bad. You’re eroding trust in the voter. If you want the endorsement that bad, I’ll give it to you.”

Even in light of this recent controversy, Coelho called for unity, claiming that he and Bofia are not all that different. 

“There’s definitely overlap in our campaigns. We have things in common. We both like solar,” Coelho said. “I truly believe that we are not as fractured of a city as we are perceived to be, and I don’t want us to be perceived that way anymore.”

In terms of their backgrounds, however, Coelho and Bofia are quite different. Coelho was born in Maine to Portuguese immigrants, a self-described “anchor baby” and entrepreneur. Bofia, on the other hand, immigrated to the United States from West Cameroon, playing basketball at the University of Maine before eventually graduating, moving to Waterville, and starting a family. 

“If elected, I believe I would become the first African American mayor in the history of Northern Maine and Waterville,” Bofia said. “It’s important for our public figures and role models to represent the diversity of our community and the African-American community. We need to be a part of the conversation.” 

Being a role model is something that is particularly important for Bofia. He claims that the birth of his daughter, who helps him with his campaign, opened his eyes to how important it is to be someone children can look up to. 

“The younger generation can relate to a younger person who brings positive things into our communities, an independent candidate who wants to help heal broken politics and take Waterville to the next level economically and culturally. That’s the role model we need.” 

When considering Waterville’s economy, an inevitable question arises: how will each of the candidates deal with the ongoing repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic? 

“It’s evolution,” Coelho said of Waterville businesses’ response to the pandemic. 

“Businesses have to adapt. Unfortunately, some places that rely heavily on foot traffic are going to be the most affected. Coelho explained hopefully as a city we will be able to get companies and nonprofits to build grants to keep some of these businesses going throughout the winter.” 

“We’ve been very fortunate to be in a state where the response [to the COVID-19 pandemic] has been great,” Bofia said. “So we have very low numbers, and I hope to keep it that way and improve on what we have done by coordinating with state officials and with businesses to see what they need, and hopefully with Colby as well.” 

Indeed, both Bofia and Coelho are particularly invested in fostering the relationship between Waterville and the College, especially in regard to the College’s ongoing investments into Main Street. 

“Waterville and Colby work hand in hand,” Bofia claimed. “We have to find a way to bridge the divide between the two. One thing I’ve found in my discussions on my weekly segment- Friday with Phil- is that most often people just need someone to listen to them and what they have to say. The issue is that they often don’t feel listened to, especially in regards to the College.”

“Most of the misunderstanding [between the College and Waterville] comes from the lack of a mediator, someone who will tell the truth and not spread propaganda,” Coelho stated. “It might take someone-- and it’s okay, I’m thick skinned-- that’s hated by both sides to bring them together. Ultimately, though, to have a thriving town you need thriving colleges, and that includes Thomas College and Kennebec Valley Community College too.”

Ultimately, both candidates expressed a desire to serve Waterville in whatever way they can. 

“I think talk is cheap,” Coelho said. “I have spent my whole life doing things first, then talking about them afterwards. I don’t live in the South End, but I’m down there putting up stages in parks so kids can use them. I want more positive things coming out of Waterville. I want more of a community feel.” 

“After graduating, I wanted to stay here in Maine,” Bofia said. “I had a community at the University of Maine that was so welcoming, just like the people of Maine, so I wanted to stay here and serve my community. I will work so that the people of Waterville and the students can have and share that same experience I had.”

On Nov. 3, make sure to get out and cast your vote for one of the mayoral candidates. For more information on Coelho and Bofia, check out their Facebook campaign pages.

~ Sarah Warner `21