Portsmouth City Council Candidates Make Their Pitch

All nine City Council seats are up for grabs in the Nov. 5 election.

There are 23 candidates. Most of them attended a forum Tuesday night hosted by Citizens for Voter Education.

Below are excerpts from candidates' pitches to the crowd Tuesday. Find more information about the candidates in our voter guide.

Jack Thorsen
"I believe that all parties want to get to a position where we can preserve the character of Portsmouth and maintain its vibrancy economically."

Steve Taylor
"The reason I'm running for City Council is because I think the City Council needs an interest from a business perspective ... no paralysis by analysis."

Jim Splaine
"We not only have to dare to think of Portsmouth 10 years from now ... (but) 50 years from now."

Eric Spear
"I love the people of Portsmouth. Their energy. Their creativity. Their entrepreneurial spirit ... I want to contribute in my own small way."

Kenneth Smith
"We have to realize transportation issues aren't (only) how to move a car around, (but) how to get bicyclists and pedestrians to our city."

Bob Shouse
"When I'm on the council I will vote for a second (parking) garage downtown."

Stefany Shaheen
"We can do a better job supporting our seniors in this community."

Shelly Saunders
"We need something more specific to hold (developers) accountable."

Zelita Morgan
"I favor small-scale buildings (and) locally owned businesses."

Duncan MacCallum
"Development has been allowed to run rampant in the downtown area."

Brad Lown
"The City of Portsmouth is not a museum. It's alive. It's a city. And it grows and it changes ... let's embrace growth. Let's embrace change."

Bob Lister
"Look at the budget as an investment in our city."

Gibson "Mike" Kennedy
"It's time to get beyond the anger and finger-pointing and solve the (parking) problem."

Esther Kennedy
"Residents should have a voice and continue to be heard."

Josh Denton
"Development is a positive thing for Portsmouth if it's done correctly."

Arthur Clough
"If you vote for me, you will get a voice on the City Council."

Joe Caldarola
"We should require developers to mitigate the cost of their impact."

Mark Brighton
"The three biggest issues we are going to face is the budget, the budget and the budget."

Rick Becksted
"We need to get back the neighborhoods. They've been silenced for years."

Candidates Chris Dwyer, Tristan Law, Justin Bethel and Devin Murphy didn't attend Tuesday's forum.