The debate between candidates Shane Bouchard and Ben Chin will take place Monday, Nov. 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m in Callahan Hall at Lewiston Public Library.

The Sun Journal will live-stream the debate, with questions coming from live and online audiences, local students, and Sun Journal and library staff.

After winning the right to face each other in the runoff election, Bouchard and Chin have continued in campaign mode. A day after the Nov. 7 election, the candidates were already planning their strategies for the month ahead. 

On Election Day, Chin came out on top of the field of five candidates looking to replace Mayor Robert Macdonald, receiving 42 percent of the vote. Bouchard followed with 29 percent, besting Mark Cayer who had 24 percent.

In Lewiston, a runoff between the top two candidates occurs if no candidate receives a clear majority of votes — 50 percent plus at least one vote. 

For Chin, it’s familiar territory. He lost in a runoff to Macdonald in 2015 after winning 44 percent of the vote in the initial election. 

Heading into the debate next week, Chin said he’s hoping to be faced with questions about the opioid crisis, which was not discussed at length during the first debate. 

“I’m really hoping that we can discuss plans to tackle the opioid epidemic that has run rampant in Maine and Lewiston in ways that it has not in other places,” he said. 

Chin said he’s also hoping to discuss “plans to make sure we fix housing downtown and ensure immigrant integration.” 

Over the past few weeks, Chin has circulated some of his campaign ideas over social media. He focuses on code enforcement reform, tax fairness, the opioid crisis and climate change. 

Bouchard has also been active on social media since the election, and he’s recently taken aim at Chin’s proposals. 

Bouchard said Friday that he’s looking forward to talking about “real issues with real solutions” at the debate.

“I think the prospect of a side-by-side comparison is exciting,” he said, referring to Chin. 

He’s hoping the questions will allow him to discuss economic development, housing, the city budget, opioids, schools, and “what now with Auburn, with the merger behind us.”

Third-place finisher Cayer told the Sun Journal last week that he will not be endorsing either candidate. Bouchard had often criticized Cayer in the run-up to the election for his stance on the proposed L-A merger, which Cayer supported. 

Chin said after the election that he’s confident he can win the votes of some of Cayer’s supporters. Cayer received 2,399 votes on Nov. 7. 

Cayer said both campaigns have since reached out to him. 

“I offered what I believed were reasonable and sustainable solutions based on my years of service on the council, while also being clear that I would take party politics and special interest out of the mayor’s office in order to represent the taxpayer and community members as a whole,” he said.

“The number of votes I did receive shows many community members want the same thing,” he said. “It will be up to the two remaining candidates to earn those votes.” 

arice@sunjournal.com