Groton — Town Councilor Portia Bordelon obtained enough signatures to warrant a Democratic primary for Town Council to be held Sept. 14, according to the registrars of voters.

She said in a news release Thursday that as a Democrat, it's difficult for her to campaign against members of her own party, but it's important to provide a service for the community that has supported her. “I believe that this primary election will allow the full, accurate will of Groton’s Democratic Voters to be heard," she said. She noted that she received the second-highest vote total in 2019 out of the remaining incumbents on the council.

The Democratic Town Committee endorsed Bordelon for Board of Education and Representative Town Meeting, but not council. She is primarying against the nine endorsed council candidates: incumbents Juliette Parker, Rachael Franco, Juan Melendez, Aundré Bumgardner and Conrad Heede, as well as David McBride, Edward ‘Eddy’ Jacome, Melinda Cassiere and Bruce Jones. The top nine highest vote-getters in the primary will determine who appears on the ballot in November, Town Clerk Betsy Moukawsher said.

Heede, DTC chairman, said the endorsed candidates "come from all areas of town. They have all kinds of experience, and we think they'll bring professionalism and expertise to the Council and most importantly they're going to work effectively together for the good of the town so even when they disagree they'll work through it respectfully and professionally, and I believe that these are the best candidates for the Town Council."

"I’ve been on the Town Council for a little bit more than one term and, based on my previous vote total, my attendance record, my voting record, and the ratio of positive feedback versus negative that I have received from the community, I believe I’ve done well enough to warrant another run for the seat,” Bordelon said in her release.

k.drelich@theday.com