Mayor who urged Somalis to slow migration will not seek re-election

LEWISTON – The Lewiston mayor who set off a storm of controversy when he advised the Somali community to slow its migration to the city has decided not to seek a second term.

In a statement, Mayor Larry Raymond said he was confident that he could win re-election this fall but had committed himself to serving one term when he ran for mayor. He also said he must focus on his full-time law practice.

Raymond, who was out of town when his statement was issued Tuesday and couldn’t be reached for comment, was elected in 2001, defeating two opponents.

“I think it’s unfortunate that he won’t be returning,” said City Council President Renee Bernier. “He’s had a tough time, and he’s done a good job.”

Raymond wrote an open letter to Lewiston Somalis last October, asking them to slow their migration and to pass the word among family and friends that Lewiston was “maxed-out financially, physically and emotionally.” The letter provoked an angry response from many in the community who viewed the letter as bigoted.

Raymond said his letter wasn’t meant to insult or anger the Somalis but to call attention to the city’s financial status. At the time, more than 1,000 Somalis had moved to Lewiston in less than 18 months, and Raymond said that had put a strain on the city’s general assistance budget.

White supremacists targeted the city, with one group conducting a meeting last January at the same time that a far larger pro-diversity rally took place a few miles away at Bates College.

Some critics had called for Raymond to step down, but he made it plain that he intended to finish his term.

“To the many who have voiced their support, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks,” he said in his statement. “I am committed to actively pursue my original goals for the remainder of my term which ends in December.”