By J.W. Oliver
Bristol residents vote at the town office Tuesday, Nov. 4. (Photo courtesy Sherrie Tucker/www.sherrietucker.com) |
A Democrat will continue to represent most of Lincoln County in the Maine Senate, although local Republicans were perhaps the big winners on Election Day.
The Republicans unseated three incumbents and retook the Boothbay region House seat represented by term-limited Boothbay Democrat Bruce MacDonald for the last eight years.
“I think it was a net win for the Republican Party,” Lincoln County Republican Committee Chairman Stuart Smith said. “We’re very pleased with the results.”
Boothbay Harbor Republican Stephanie Hawke handily defeated Edgecomb independent Bill Coombs to take House District 89. The district includes Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, part of South Bristol, Southport, and Westport Island.
The small-business owner and school board member received 60.77 percent of the vote to secure her first term in the Legislature.
“I’m very excited and very honored,” Hawke said. “I want to say thank you to the voters and also thank you to my opponent for having a nice race.”
Hawke said she will not take any agenda to Augusta. “I’m just going to go in there and do the best I can,” she said.
Coombs, meanwhile, said he was disappointed but not surprised. “I know it’s definitely a Republican area,” he said, and he cited the bear referendum and Republican get-out-the-vote efforts as factors in his loss.
“As an independent, I don’t have the backing to compete with that,” he said.
“I hope we have a productive two years,” Coombs said. “I hope we can actually get some stuff done for the state. I hope she’s willing to work hard. Congratulations, Stephanie.”
A newcomer to politics, Coombs said he would consider a run for public office in the future. “I learned a lot. (There are) a lot of things I would do differently,” he said.
Dresden Republican Jeff Pierce defeated three-term Rep. Peter Kent, D-Woolwich, in the new House District 53, which includes Arrowsic, Dresden, Georgetown, Phippsburg, and part of Richmond.
The small-business man and fisheries advocate earned 54.03 percent of the vote.
“I think hard work and just being straight with the voters was the way to go,” Pierce said. “We didn’t do anything negative to my opponent, we just ran on ideas and a way forward for Maine.”
“I’m glad Peter ran a clean race … It was nice to have a clean race after seeing the vitriol in some of the other races,” Pierce said.
Pierce’s hometown of Dresden and the town of Phippsburg, in particular, “were very kind to me,” Pierce said, because people know him there.
“We don’t always agree on issues, but they know I’ll do the right thing, whether it’s popular or not,” Pierce said.
Pierce said the top two issues he heard about on the campaign trail were job creation and welfare reform. “People know we need vital safety nets for our most vulnerable, but they don’t want to buy cigarettes and booze for people,” he said.
A 250-vote margin of victory in his hometown of Pittston helped Jeff Hanley deny a second term to Democratic Rep. Tim Marks, also of Pittston, in House District 87. The district also includes Alna, Randolph, and Wiscasset.
Hanley’s margin of victory was 205 votes. He was the recipient of 52.36 percent of the vote.
“I’m pleased. I’m humbled that the people have chosen me. It takes a little while to let it sink in, but I’m very pleased and looking forward to it,” Hanley said.
“I want to thank (the voters) for their effort to get out to vote and to vote for me and I hope I will represent them well,” Hanley said. He said he will try to be a “logical and reasonable” lawmaker and “keep governing to a minimum.”
“That’s been my campaign slogan – to run the State House like your house and just be sensible,” Hanley said.
Hanley said he has known Marks for a long time. “He’s a fine man,” Hanley said. “His politics and mine are a little different. That’s the beauty of democracy.”
Independent Rep. Jeff Evangelos also benefited from a hometown boost, as his 196-vote advantage in Friendship appears to have been the difference in a 65-vote win over Waldoboro Republican Ellen Winchenbach.
Evangelos collected 50.83 percent of the vote to win a second term in the house. He will represent House District 91, which includes Friendship, part of Union, Waldoboro, and Washington.
“I’m very grateful that the voters supported me and I look forward to returning to Augusta and moving the state forward,” Evangelos said.
Evangelos said his priorities were to expand Medicaid, restore state-municipal revenue sharing, and work to meet the state’s commitment to fund 55 percent of the cost of public education.
“I’m going to have to study those priorities in light of the fact Gov. LePage has won a convincing victory and Republicans have captured the Senate,” Evangelos said.
“I’m hopeful people will sit down and work together. Time will tell … I’m going to continue to work independently, just like I did in the last two years,” he said.
Winchenbach was not ready to concede the race due to the extraordinarily tight margin. She is going to look into the rules regarding recounts “to see if it’s worth it or not,” she said.
A Republican will likely represent Dresden in the Maine Senate, as Linda Baker, R-Topsham, has opened a substantial lead over Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, and Alice Knapp, G-Richmond. Final results were not available at press time.
The Democrats managed to hold onto Senate District 13 and House Districts 80 and 90.
Sen. Chris Johnson, D-Somerville, appears to have won a rematch of his 2012 race against Les Fossel, R-Alna.
Senate District 13 includes all of Lincoln County except Dresden, plus the Kennebec County town of Windsor and the Knox County town of Washington.
“I’m really pleased to be going back and working for the people of the Senate district,” Johnson said.
“It’s been difficult to watch some of the races that have been lost this time,” Johnson said. He was looking forward to working with Democratic candidate for governor Mike Michaud, “but we’ll hope to be able to find some common ground and get some of those things still accomplished with the apparent winner, Governor LePage,” he said.
“To those who voted for me, thank you very much for placing your trust in me … To all voters out there, I really want to represent you well, and feel free to contact me with any of your concerns or issues or wishes for what happens,” Johnson said.
Fossel was not available for comment.
District 90 voters re-elected Rep. Mick Devin, D-Newcastle, in a landslide. The marine biologist received 60.26 percent of the vote to win his second term.
District 90 consists of Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Monhegan, Newcastle, Nobleboro, and part of South Bristol.
“I’m very honored that my constituents … said loud and clear they would like me to head back and serve for them,” Devin said. “I also am very appreciative of the way Anna stayed positive throughout the entire campaign.”
“My top priority will be to work on getting affordable health care to as many Mainers as possible and I will also continue to work on marine issues, primarily marine issues that affect commercial fishing,” Devin said.
Morkeski, meanwhile, is already looking ahead to another run for office.
“I think the election went well overall,” she said. “I would definitely want to try running again.”
Morkeski said outside groups spent more than $11,000 to help Devin, while she did not have outside support.
“I want to thank everyone who voted for me, and (I) look forward to the next election,” she said.
District 80 voters opted to retain Lori Fowle, D-Vassalboro, who fended off a challenge from late entry Ray Bates, R-Windsor. Fowle received 54.98 percent of the vote.
District 80 includes the Lincoln County town of Somerville and the territory of Hibbert’s Gore, as well as part of Augusta, Vassalboro, and Windsor in Kennebec County.
House District 88 voters re-elected Rep. Deb Sanderson, R-Chelsea, to a third term. The district includes the Lincoln County towns of Jefferson, part of Nobleboro, and Whitefield, as well as Sanderson’s hometown of Chelsea in Kennebec County.
Sanderson was the only candidate for the Legislature in Lincoln County without an opponent.
There were also non-legislative races for district attorney in Maine Prosecutorial District 6, which includes Lincoln County; and for the office of Lincoln County register of probate.
Final results in the race between District Attorney Geoff Rushlau, R-Dresden, and David Sinclair, D-Bath, were not available at press time.
Lincoln County voters promoted Deputy Register of Probate Catherine Moore, R-Jefferson, to the position of register of probate. Moore defeated Steve Gottlieb, D-Boothbay, and Ken Maguire, R-South Bristol.
Lincoln County Commissioner Bill Blodgett, Lincoln County Register of Deeds Rebecca Wotton, Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett, and Lincoln County Treasurer Rick Newell also won re-election in uncontested races.
