The mayor, first elected in 2011, has been a vocal critic of government assistance programs in the past, and his tendency to not mince words has earned him the spotlight. His remarks that immigrants should “leave your culture at the door” sparked small protests and calls for his resignation after they were included in a BBC documentary that aired on Sept. 11, 2012.

Lewiston — with about 36,000 residents — is one of Maine’s most populous cities and has become home to many Somali refugees. Macdonald later attempted to clarify his remarks, saying that they were taken out of context and that he never said anything disparaging about the Somali community.

In 2014, Macdonald said Lewiston couldn’t afford to become a “dumping ground” for asylum-seeking refugees moving from other parts of the state. In 2013, he launched a citywide effort aimed at “welfare cheats” and kicked 80 people off assistance; criminal charges were pressed against a handful for fraud.

“We’re not going to be known as a welfare town anymore,” Macdonald said in March 2013. “If you want to come here, don’t come here for welfare because if we catch you, you will be prosecuted.”