LEWISTON, Maine — The Lewiston City Council on Tuesday must decide who will fill the vacant Ward 5 seat left open after Iman Osman resigned just days into the new term, closing a brief and chaotic chapter that featured residency questions, a rapidly launched council review, and Osman’s not-guilty plea to two stolen-gun charges less than 48 hours after he was sworn in.
The vacancy has triggered a fast-track appointment process at City Hall, with councilors preparing to review applications and select a replacement. It has also reignited a dispute over the city charter and how vacancies should be handled, an argument Council President David Chittim had signaled he wanted to set aside as the council moves to install a new Ward 5 representative.
Why the seat opened up
Osman’s election and swearing-in did not end the controversy surrounding his eligibility to serve Ward 5. Questions about his residency and qualifications had been circulating, and the council had begun moving toward outside review. Within days of taking the oath, Osman appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to two stolen-gun charges. He resigned shortly afterward, leaving Ward 5 without representation almost immediately after the new term began.
With Osman gone, the council shifted from investigating the problem to replacing the seat. The city opened an application process on a short timeline, inviting Ward 5 residents to submit letters and resumes for consideration.
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The five applicants — and what they told the city
City Council agenda materials list five applicants. In their submissions, they outline sharply different backgrounds and priorities.
Adam Buckley describes himself as a U.S. Army veteran who served from 2005 to 2021 and separated honorably at the rank of sergeant first class. In his application, he points to leadership experience and a structured, mission-focused approach shaped by military service.
Nicole Johnson writes that she has lived in Lewiston for most of her life and is raising her family here. She frames her interest in the seat around stability and quality-of-life concerns, arguing the city needs safer conditions and stronger, more accountable governance for residents who intend to stay and build their lives in Lewiston.
Kiernan Majerus-Collins points to prior civic and government service, listing time as an elected Lewiston School Committee member, work on the Androscoggin County Budget Committee, and service on the city’s voter registration appeals board. He also highlights a legal background, including bar admissions, clerkship experience, and operating a solo law practice, positioning himself as someone who can handle policy details and procedural issues inside City Hall. Collins has had many prior controversies within Lewiston city politics. He was also Iman Osman’s attorney, at one point. Collins vehemently defended Osman, saying his client was innocent and would fight the charges. Advice that only humiliated the entire situation and put the council in its current position.
Chrissy Noble, a longtime Ward 5 resident, writes that she has worked for New Beginnings for 17 years and points to experience dealing directly with homelessness, addiction, and crisis situations. She also says she is trained in mediation and conflict resolution. In her application, she describes Lewiston’s immigrant community as part of the city’s strength and says immigrants should be protected if they are in the country legally.
Eryn “Ryn” Soule argues she brings direct council experience, writing that she previously served as Ward 5 councilor and has worked on city budget and public safety issues. She says she introduced two ordinances and emphasizes “integrity, honesty, and transparency” as her governing approach. She also points to her recent campaign and vote totals, arguing that Ward 5 voters who supported her in the last election should not be brushed aside simply because the city is filling the seat through appointment rather than at the ballot box.
Soule brings the experience and leadership to be ready day one, but the council failed to appoint her at its last meeting, when multiple councilors voiced their support of her. Councilor Joshua Nagine turned the discussion, at the last meeting, into partisan politics saying that “Republicans were at the meeting”, and indicated they were pushing the topic.
Chittim, the charter fight, and what comes next
Even as the city moves toward an appointment, the Osman resignation has exposed deeper fractures inside City Hall, including whether Lewiston’s charter is being followed consistently, and what happens when leadership tries to “move on” without addressing the underlying controversy.
At a recent meeting, Chittim signaled a desire to set aside the charter dispute and proceed with the appointment process, a posture that has fueled criticism from residents who say the city can’t keep treating its governing rules as optional whenever they become politically inconvenient.
And the clock is ticking: if the council fails to appoint a new Ward 5 councilor by early February, the selection shifts out of the council’s hands and becomes the mayor’s appointment, raising the stakes for Tuesday’s decision.
Now the council faces a simple but very high-stakes choice: appoint a replacement who can stabilize Ward 5 and restore representation or allow the selection process to become another flashpoint in a saga that has already embarrassed the city and left voters asking how any of it was allowed to spiral out of control in the first place.
