Recount decrees House winner> Chase takes District 122

AUGUSTA – Peter D. Chase might start a whole new trend in political campaigning. Chase, a former Glenburn town manager, won a recount in House District 122 on Friday, ousting Democratic incumbent Daniel B. Williams of Orono by only 9 votes.

Chase won the race even though he spent no money, did no door-to-door campaigning, put up no signs and shook no hands. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to win the Friday recount. “Half of me does and half of me doesn’t,” he said at the Maine State Police garage where a string of recounts have been held this week.

In the other recount on Friday, it was a family affair when Democrat Paul R. Hatch of Skowhegan won the recount and took the seat held by his wife, Pam Hatch, who was removed by term limits. The recount total showed Hatch winning by 38 votes with 1,307 ballots to 1,279 for David G. Summers of Skowhegan. The recount actually increased Hatch’s margin, which was only 19 votes before.

With four more House recounts scheduled next week, incoming Democrats continue to hold a majority in the 151-member chamber with 89 seats. Another 61 are held by Republicans and there is one independent.

The Democratic total of 89 House members would be the largest partisan House bloc since 1993-1994, when Democrats numbered 91.

The makeup of the outgoing House has been 79-71-1 in favor of the Democrats.

In House 122, Chase was stunned by his win on Friday. He was a highly reluctant candidate, recruited by House Assistant Minority Leader Dick Campbell. “I told them I would run only if they absolutely could not find another candidate. He twisted my arm more than once,” the victor said. Chase said his work as town manager plus terms on the Levant school board and Board of Selectmen generated enough name recognition to avoid campaigning and still win.

“No more than two or three people ever mentioned that I was on the ballot,” said Chase. “I think if I campaigned any harder I would have lost. I didn’t even stay up on election night to see who won. When I woke up Wednesday morning and read the paper, I almost fell off my chair.”

The more conservative district towns of Levant, Glenburn and Kenduskeag offset the liberal votes that Williams picked up in Orono, he said. “I guess I will serve. I want to move the state in the right direction. It has been drifting too far to the left,” Chase said.

Williams, who works for the University of Maine admissions office, was just as stunned with the defeat. “It was a tough one. It was going back and forth all afternoon. It was a real emotional roller coaster.”

Williams was up by a single vote before the Levant total was added.

“I lost to a name that was well-known in the district. I worked harder in this race than I did two years ago, when I won,” Williams said.

He was unsure whether he would run again. “I will wait until the dust settles,” Williams said.

In House 98, Hatch said he was pretty sure his 19-vote lead would hold up in the recount since all the votes were on machines. The papermaker said he decided to run when his wife was removed by term limits.

“My number one concern will be the economy,” said Hatch. “I want to find a way to stop exporting our educated children to other states. Most of my generation has left the state looking for better jobs.”

It really was a family affair in Skowhegan on election night. The victor’s da Hatch won the race for register of probate.

Pam Hatch said she would offer no coaching for the new representative. “But I will laugh when he starts to whine about the long hours,” she said.

Summers is a retired probation officer who also lost to Pam Hatch two years ago. “It was so close I had to ask for a recount,” he said. Since he works as a selectman and assessor in Skowhegan he has enough to do and won’t run for state office again, Summer said.

The Secretary of State’s Office has concluded six recounts with four more scheduled. Officials said the number of recount requests is about average when compared to previous years.

Of the two Senate and four House recounts so far, only one has resulted in a reversal. That came in House District 56, where Democrat Christopher Hall of Bristol had trailed Republican John Harris of South Bristol by 7 votes in unofficial returns, but came out of the recount the winner by 22 votes.

On Monday, recounts will be held in House District 137 where Republican Anita Haskell of Milford leads Democrat Laura J. Sanborn of Alton by 5 votes and in House District 148 where Republican Florence T. Young of Limestone leads Democrat Wade E. McLaughlin of Limestone by 8 votes.

On Tuesday, recounts will be held in House District 72, where Republican Thomas F. Shields of Auburn leads Democrat Stanley T. Tetenman of Auburn by 133 votes and in House District 151, where Democrat Marc Michaud of Fort Kent leads Republican Troy D. Jackson of Allagash by 106 votes.