District 50 Representative Dana Dow (R-Waldoboro) will face off against Somerville Democrat Chris Johnson for the District 20 Senate seat recently vacated by David Trahan.
Dow, who described himself as the favored candidate of the state’s Republican leadership, defeated fellow State Rep. Les Fossel (R-Alna) at the Republican Caucus held in Newcastle, Jan. 11.
Johnson won the Democratic nomination unanimously at the Democrat Party caucus in Wiscasset Jan. 11.
A special election will be held Feb. 14 to fill the vacant seat.
Trahan, a two-term senator, and a four-term state representative, resigned the Senate seat in December 2011 to become the Executive Director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine.
Trahan said he resigned his seat to avoid a conflict of interest with his new job.
“I have mixed feelings about leaving,” Trahan told The Lincoln County News Jan 2. “I always loved serving in the legislature. I felt I had to do this because the conflicts with this new position were just too strong.”
Senate District 20 includes all towns in Lincoln County save Dresden, Windsor, Washington and Friendship.
Dow, the current representative from House District 50, a region that includes Bremen, Nobleboro, Waldoboro, and part of Jefferson, said he planned to work with Gov. Paul LePage to improve Maine’s economy and return it to fiscal discipline.
“I want to bring Maine back to economic reality,” Dow said at the Republican caucus Jan. 11 in Newcastle.
Dow said he would look to the Dept. of Health and Human Services to reduce Maine’s budget shortfall.
On education, Dow said he would seek a state school funding formula that would reduce property taxes.
“No one knows the Essential Programs and Services (EPS) better than me,” Dow said.
The EPS is the state’s benchmark for determining how much each school district must spend on education.
As a member of the Legislature, Dow has served on the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee, the Joint Select Committee on Regulatory Fairness and Reform, the Government Oversight Committee, and the Marine Resources Committee. Between 2004 and 2008, Dow served as the District 20 Senator, stepping down after completing his second term He returned to politics in 2010 with a successful campaign for the District 50 seat in the House.
Along with his wife Lisa, Dow is also the co-owner of Dow Furniture. He is a former chemistry and physics teachers at Medomak Valley High School.
Dow, who had his first 2012 campaign meeting the morning after the caucus, said he plans on going door to door to meet voters.
Dow’s rival for Trahan’s seat will be Democrat Chris Johnson.
As a Senator, Johnson said he would have earnest discussions with both Republicans and Democrats to advance the priorities of Maine residents.
“It’s time we turn things around in Augusta and focus on things that are important to people,” Johnson said.
Johnson ran against Trahan in 2010 for the District 20 Senate seat.
Johnson, a Director of IT at DeskNet Inc., has devoted much of his time to bringing high-speed Internet access to his town and local school. He also serves as Somerville’s representative on the RSU 12 Board of Directors and on the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission.
Since he began reaching out to voters in late September, Johnson said that the common concerns he has been hearing have been regarding jobs, health care, taxes and education.
“We’re not doing the things we can do at the state level,” he said. “We have the wrong priorities.”
Nomination petitions for independent candidates are available through the Division of Elections. Nomination papers require at least 200 signatures and must be filed with the Secretary of State by 5 p.m., Tues., Jan. 17.
