Editing South Portland, Maine (section)

=== Mayoral controversy ===
In December 2007, then-mayor James Soule made headlines in Maine and across the country when he proposed in his inaugural address that South Portland, along with parts of southern Maine, [[secede]] from the state of Maine and form a new state.<ref name="soule-pph">{{cite news |first=Josie |last=Huang |title=Mayor calls for secession from Maine |work=Portland Press Herald |date=4 December 2007 |access-date=13 April 2009 |url=http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=152570 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128145841/http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=152570 |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 January 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jenna |last=Russell |title=Mayor says Maine should be two states |work=Boston Globe |date=30 December 2007 |access-date=13 April 2009 |url=https://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/12/30/mayor_says_maine_should_be_two_states/ }}</ref> Soule referred to the state government of Maine as an "oppressive enemy"<ref>{{cite news|title=Mayor Promotes Secession|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oss98vJuFf4| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/oss98vJuFf4| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|access-date=13 June 2010|newspaper=News8 WMTW-TV|date=5 December 2007}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and said that South Portland, along with other southern Maine cities and towns, contributes much more to the state in tax revenue than it receives in education funding. "The state of Maine needs South Portland more than South Portland needs the state of Maine," Soule claimed.<ref name="soule-pph" />

Soule's proposal was panned by the congressional delegation and by [[John Baldacci|Governor Baldacci]], whose spokesman called it "silly" and "counterproductive."<ref name="soule-pph" />

The proposal did not gain any traction, and Soule did not continue to pursue it. Soule nominated himself for reelection as mayor in November 2008, but was defeated by Thomas Blake in a 6–1 vote. Soule voted for himself.<ref>{{cite news |first=Linda |last=Hersey |title=Blake Wins Caucus By 6-1 Vote |work=The South Portlander |date=24 November 2008 |access-date=13 April 2009 |url=http://www.southportlander.com/index.php/article/blake_wins_caucus_by_6_1_vote/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215041427/http://www.southportlander.com/index.php/article/blake_wins_caucus_by_6_1_vote/ |archive-date=15 February 2009 }}</ref>