Voters Oust Leonard, Elect Three to Bangor Council
Anthony Cote, Terry Dinkins and Joseph Pratt won Bangor City Council seats in the November 3 election, unseating incumbent Joseph Leonard.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections
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Voters elected Anthony Cote, Terry Dinkins and Joseph Pratt to three Bangor City Council seats, unseating incumbent Joseph Leonard. Voters also approved the closure of Eddington Elementary School in the same election.
Why it matters
The results reshape Bangor's city council and mark a change in local leadership. The election also settled a long-running decision on the future of Eddington Elementary School.
Dani O'Halloran won the three-year Brewer City Council seat with over 2,600 votes, and Kevin O'Connell will assume the one-year seat. Results on the Penobscot County jail measure remain pending.
The players
Joseph Leonard
Leonard is a former Bangor City Council member who lost his seat in the election.
Corey Bagley
Bagley is a Republican who won the Hancock County Sheriff race over Democrat Dakota Dupuis.
The details
Voters in Bangor selected three new city councilors, replacing Joseph Leonard. The Eddington Elementary School closure followed a long process of discussion among the three towns involved. Penobscot County voters were asked whether a new jail could be built outside the county seat of Bangor.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: Local and referendum elections held in Penobscot and Hancock Counties.
Political Context
The Eddington Elementary School closure concludes a process of joint discussion among three towns that preceded the vote. Opposition or dissent to the closure was not described in the source extraction.
Bangor residents now have a new city council majority, which will shape local votes on the city's budget and policies. Residents of Eddington will see their elementary school close as the decision takes effect.
The takeaway
Local elections often decide decisions with long-term effects, such as school closures and county facilities. Voters who follow council and referendum results can track how these changes affect their own neighborhoods.
Further reading
Find more context on Elections in Bangor and across Maine.
Source note: This article includes information reported by FOX 22/ABC 7.
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