House to decide winner of unresolved race for District 137

AUGUSTA – For the first time in eight years, the House of Representatives will be asked to decide an election for one of its members. A recount in House District 137 Monday did not resolve the race, sending the matter to the House, which could certify a winner or call for a new election.

A tally of ballots on Election Day had Republican Anita P. Haskell of Milford beating Democratic incumbent Laura J. Sanborn by 35 votes. Sanborn requested a recount which Monday reduced Haskell’s margin of victory to 7 votes. But because there were 12 disputed ballots, Sanborn declined to sign off on the election.

The state Constitution stipulates that unless two candidates in such cases can reach an agreement themselves, the winner must be decided by the House. The newly elected Legislature will be sworn in Dec. 6.

After the recount, Sanborn said she had no choice but to reject the recount finding.

“There were only seven votes difference and 12 disputed ballots. I thought it would be close, but not that close,” she said.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, she will consider requesting a new election, since she has been told that between 75-100 Old Town residents got the wrong ballot on Election Day. According to Sanborn, members of the same household got ballots for different House districts on Election Day. Old Town is split between House 137 and House 121. The community has 385 registered voters in House District 137 and 6,464 in House District 121.

Despite the ballot problem, however, Sanborn said she is reluctant to call for another election.

“We don’t want to have another Florida,” she said.

The town clerk in Old Town said a few ballots may have been placed in the wrong hands during confusion on Election Day, but not 75-100.

“It was nothing like that,” said Town Clerk Pat Ramsey. “I can’t believe she would make that accusation. That would be phenomenal. That is quite an allegation.”

If Old Town voters got the wrong ballots, the time to complain was on Election Day, the town clerk said.

“Why would they wait for a week. This sounds like Florida,” Ramsey said.

Haskell, the apparent winner said, “There are losers, then there are poor losers. I wouldn’t have asked for a recount in the first place.”

Haskell lost to Sanborn by about 75 votes in the race two years ago.

Haskell taught at Old Town Middle School for 38 years before she decided to run for election. When she lost the race two years ago, she decided to work harder and do the grueling door-to-door campaigning. She said she will have a good time no matter what the House decides.

“If I lose I will go to Las Vegas and have a good time. If I win, I will go to Augusta and do a good job,” she said. After being disillusioned with education, Haskell will seek a spot on the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee to do something about what she termed the excessive number of patients released from mental institutions.

The last time the House had to decide a race was after the 1992 election when Republican Sumner Jones of Pittsfield was initially declared the winner of House District 101. But the Democratically controlled House voted a few months later to award the seat to Democrat Louise Townsend of Canaan.

In another Monday recount in House District 148, it was determined that Republican Florence Young of Limestone had beaten Democrat Wade E. McLaughlin of Limestone by 13 votes. The margin on Election Day had Young winning by 8 votes.

Young is the mother of Paul Young, a former state legislator and unsuccessful candidate for governor and congress.

When the recount was concluded Monday, Young said, “If I can live through this I can live through anything.”

The retired banker said she had been involved with community work all her life and thought the Legislature was “another way to help.” She pledged to work with both Republicans and Democrats to find solutions and will seek a seat on the Legislative Banking and Insurance Committee.

McLaughlin said he was compelled to seek a recount because of a large number of confusing write-in votes. It was his first attempt for state office, but not his last, said the employee of the University of Maine at Fort Kent.

With the final recounts in House Districts 72 and 151 scheduled for Tuesday, unofficial election results give the Democrats control of the House with 89 members to the Republicans’ 61 with one independent. It is the largest Democratic margin since 1993.

During the last session Democrats had a margin of 79-71, with one independent.