State Senate seat challenges show mixed results

AUGUSTA – A Republican incumbent lost his state Senate primary while a sitting House member lost his bid for the Democratic nomination in another Senate race in Tuesday’s voting, according to unofficial election returns.

Besting Sen. Michael McAlevey of Waterboro in the Senate District 34 GOP primary was Rep. Richard Nass of Acton.

Unofficial returns gave Nass 1,753 votes, or 52 percent, and McAlevey 1,649 votes, or 48 percent.

More than two dozen legislative primaries were slated around the state. In one highly publicized Portland contest, voters rejected the Senate bid of state Rep. Michael Quint, who lost the Senate District 28 Democratic nomination to Ethan Strimling, according to unofficial returns.

Tabulations from 8 of 8 precincts gave Strimling 1,934 votes, or 62 percent, while Quint garnered 1,196 votes, or 38 percent.

The two candidates were vying for the Democratic nomination to succeed Democratic Sen. Anne Rand, who is ineligible for a fifth consecutive term.

Of the three incumbent House members who faced primary election challenges, two lost. The lone winner in the trio was Democratic Rep. Joanne Twomey of Biddeford, who defeated Robert Farley of Biddeford. Twomey received 770 votes, or 75 percent, while Farley took 251 votes, or 25 percent.

Losing were Democratic Reps. John McDonough of Portland and William Cote of Lewiston to Edward Suslovic of Portland and Paul Samson of Lewiston.

Suslovic won 556 votes, or 56 percent, to beat McDonough, who had 430 votes for 44 percent.

Samson took 236 votes for 69 percent while Cote had 105 votes for 31 percent.