Former state senator David Trahan sent a letter of resignation to the governor dated Dec. 31, 2011.
His letter makes official a resignation announced several months ago when he accepted a position as executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, an outdoors advocacy organization.
“I have mixed feelings about leaving,” Trahan said Jan. 2. “I always loved serving in the legislature. I felt I had to do this because the conflicts [with his new position] were just too strong.”
As per constitutional law, the governor will, in the next two weeks, announce the date for a special election to replace Trahan in the senate. Once that election is announced, the local republican and democratic parties will each hold a caucus to choose a nominee to run for the seat.
Jim Carlton, chairman of the Lincoln County Republican Committee, said current state house members Les Fossel and Dana Dow have declared their intentions to run for the Republican nomination.
Valarie Johnson, chairman of the Lincoln County Democratic Committee, said Chris Johnson, who ran against Trahan in 2010, will run for the Democrats. At this time, no other Democrats have stepped forward, she said.
