John Jenkins

John Jenkins (May 29, 1952 – September 30, 2020) was an American martial artist, motivational speaker, community organizer, and politician who served as the first African American Mayor of Lewiston, Maine from 1994 to 1998, a Member of the Maine Senate from 1996 to 1998 and the Mayor of Auburn, Maine from 2007 to 2009.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Jenkins graduated from Bates College in 1974. While at college, he excelled in martial arts and upon graduating toured Japan competing in the Karate World Championships. He won the 1977 Championships in karate, and won three other mixed martial arts championships in karate and ju-jitsu.

He returned to Maine to work at his alma mater as director of housing in 1980 before formally entering politics in November 1993. His first political contestation was for the Mayor of Lewiston which he won with a 3 to 1 margin. Two years into his mayoral tenure, he ran and eventually unseated an incumbent legislator to become a member of the Maine Senate representing the 21st district. After a brief hiatus to become a business consultant and a motivational speaker, he entered the 2007 mayoral race for Auburn eventually winning it as a write-in candidate. He returned to business consulting after his term end in 2009.

On November 17, 2017, according to the Maine Ethics Commission, Jenkins announced his candidacy for the 2018 Maine gubernatorial election as a political Independent.

Biography John Jenkins was born Newark, New Jersey on May 29, 1952 becoming the youngest of three children. His youth was marked with an "abusive" and "violent" atmosphere. He has claimed that "stellar educational opportunities and a firm religious faith" helped him through difficult early years. His mother, a Christian Baptist, sent him to attend the American Friends Service Committee after high school which exposed him to a social program ran by Princeton University where he gained exposure to the benefits of a university education.

Political career

Mayoralty of Lewiston After serving as the director of housing for Bates College, he announced that he was running for the Mayoralty of Lewiston, Maine in November 1993. He won the election with a margin of 3 to 1. He expanded the city's economy by encouraging domestic direct investment by international businesses. Jenkins was also instrumental in establishing trade and urban partnerships with neighboring towns in Maine. By 1995, the city's economy saw unemployment rates decrease yielding "one of the healthiest economies in [the state]."

Subsequent political activities In August 2010, Jenkins announced his write-in candidacy for the 2010 Maine gubernatorial election after the current incumbent governor, John Baldacci, was term-limited. As an unregistered contender he competed directly with the Independent candidate Eliot R. Cutler, Democrat Libby Mitchell, and Republican Paul LePage. Through a plurality, Paul LePage was elected governor over the other candidates. In November 2017, he filed papers with the Maine Ethics Commission formally announcing his candidacy.