EASTPORT – William Boone wants a seat next year as a Washington County commissioner, but he said Monday he’s going to need a little help from his wife.

Boone, 40, is a federal employee, forbidden by law from seeking partisan elective office.

So last week he announced his wife’s candidacy, stating in no uncertain terms that if she wins she will resign, allowing him to be appointed to the seat – legally.

If that isn’t complicated enough, it gets a little more complicated: Boone is already a commissioner and has been, off and on, since 1996.

For the past six years, he has worked for the U.S. Postal Service.

Then, last year, he learned that under the federal Hatch Act he is prohibited from running in a partisan election.

The law says a postal worker can hold office so long as the candidate is not “nominated or elected as representing a political party.” County commissioners run as political candidates. Boone is a Democrat.

Boone said Monday he loves being a commissioner and would hate to give up his job. So he had to cast about for a solution.

Enter his wife, Diana Boone, 55, who agreed to run for the District 2 seat. If elected, she plans to resign immediately to allow her husband to serve out the remainder of her term.

Boone said his wife is not a political creature. “Basically, she is a paper candidate,” he said. He said that his wife has been a teacher in Union 104 for the past 25 years.

According to state law, when a vacancy occurs in the office of county commissioner, the governor “shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy.”

Washington County is divided into three districts. District 1, which covers the northern tier, includes the Calais area north. District 2 covers the southeastern portion, from Eastport to Machias. District 3 covers the western tier, from Cherryfield to Whitneyville.

Boone was appointed county commissioner in 1996. He was elected twice after that in 1997 and 2001. Each time he ran, he said, he didn’t realize he was breaking federal law.

“I never considered myself to be a [government] employee. Somebody turned me in to the [Postal Service] Office of Special Counsel in Washington, D.C., which investigates violations of the Hatch Act,” he said. “They investigated me, and they agreed I didn’t do it intentionally or knowingly, and they allowed me to finish my term.”

Although he admitted he never looked into it, he said he did not believe the Hatch Act applied to postal employees.

The veteran commissioner said he does not believe he is defying federal law because his wife is running for the District 2 seat.

“I don’t believe my postal career has any bearing on my political career. It has no interaction. It has no promotion, no gain, nothing. I’m not going around Robin Hood’s barn. I am using the avenue that is left to me,” he said.

“I can’t run, but I can be appointed and it is perfectly legal. I hate giving up something I love. I have two great careers.”

Boone’s wife faces competition in the June primary from state Rep. Albion Goodwin of Pembroke and Cutler resident Bickford Ramsdell.

Christopher Gardner is running unopposed as a Republican.

In the District 1 seat, state Sen. Kevin Shorey is running unopposed for a commissioner’s seat.

Boone has been chairman of the commissioners since 1999.