feel empowered by taking personal responsibility for their own governance. Eder is a recipient of the George Mitchell Peace Scholarship. He studied at Southern Maine Community College. 2011 Portland mayoral election Eder was a candidate for mayor in the 2011 Portland mayoral election. In the race Eder focused on providing living wages, affordable housing and health care for the city's working class residents. He was endorsed among the top three candidates for mayor by the League of Young Voters. Eder was also endorsed as the best choice for mayor by the Portland Phoenix on the issue of "social services." The Phoenix said of Eder, "as a campaigner who has championed the city's working poor — by advocating for living wage, affordable healthcare, and better housing options — Eder has shown that he is passionate about helping the city's neediest citizens". Upon making its endorsements in the mayor's race, the Portland Daily Sun said, "John Eder’s ideas surrounding affordable housing and public transportation (especially when it comes to replacing school buses with METRO passes) were apparently good enough to be incorporated by several opponents." Eder cross-endorsed fellow candidate, former legislative colleague and prominent Democrat Ethan Strimling, a first such cross-endorsement in the Portland mayoral race, which used instant-runoff voting for the first time in Maine. This led the Maine Green Independent Party, which had donated to Eder's campaign, to endorse the other Green in the race, City Councilor David Marshall. Portland Board of Education 2014-2017 Eder served a term on the Portland Board of Education during which time he chaired the committee to oversee the transition plan to have Greater Portland METRO buses transport Portland Public Schools’ high school students to and from school. In addition, Eder advocated for the renovation of the districts elementary schools. Eder did not seek re-election. Failed bid for Democratic nomination and beyond In January 2018, Eder announced his bid for the Democratic nomination for District 12 of the Maine House of Representatives. He was subsequently defeated in the June primary by Victoria Foley. In February 2020, the Bangor Daily News published a letter to the editor by Eder in which he advocated the repeal of a law which eliminated most exemptions from state child vaccination requirements, including religious exemptions. References 1969 births Living people Maine Democrats Maine Greens Members of the Maine House of Representatives Politicians from Portland, Maine American environmentalists Southern Maine Community College