Republican Senate candidate Les Fossel, of Alna, filed a recount request with the Department of the Secretary of State Nov. 12 in his bid against Sen. Chris Johnson, D-Somerville, for Senate District 13.
Senate District 13 includes all of Lincoln County except for Dresden, as well as Windsor and Washington.
Unofficial election results from Nov. 4 placed Johnson ahead with a 339-vote lead over Fossel, a difference of 1.82 percent of the total votes cast.
Since the percentage difference between Fossel and Johnson is less than 2 percent of the total votes cast, Fossel is not required to deposit any money for the recount under Maine law.
“We’ll go through the recount process and see what happens. I’m optimistic,” Johnson said Nov. 12.
“I would be very surprised if there’s a change in the outcome. It would be extremely unusual to change even a hundred votes,” Johnson said.
Fossel declined to comment.
The situation is reminiscent of 2012, when Fossel requested a recount against a closer race against Johnson for then-Senate District 20, which included the town of Friendship.
Fossel trailed Johnson by only 134 votes in the unofficial results, but the recount widened the gap to 171, confirming Johnson’s win, according to The Lincoln County News archives.
Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn said the Senate District 13 recount will likely be scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 19 or Thursday, Nov. 20. Senate recounts take about one full day, Flynn said.
