State sets dates for six recounts House, Senate primary races at issue

AUGUSTA – Ballots will be recounted beginning Friday in six legislative primaries that were held June 8, state election officials said. Three of the recounts are in House races and three in the Senate.

The primaries set the stage for November’s legislative elections, when voters decide which party will control the two chambers for the next two years.

Democrats now control both. Their 18-17 edge in the Senate was solidified after a recount in 2002 that involved one of the contestants in a primary recount next week.

After the 2002 general election, Republican Les Fossel of Alna lost a recount for a state Senate seat to Democrat Christopher Hall of Bristol. On Monday, Fossel faces a recount against fellow Republican Dana Dow, the apparent winner of the District 20 GOP primary by 18 votes.

Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky said the first recount would be held Friday to determine who won the Democratic primary in Senate District 23 between Peter Misluk Jr. of Searsmont and Wesley Rothermel of Belfast.

Unofficial election totals indicated that Misluk received 987 votes and Rothermel received 953 votes in the primary. The winner will face Republican Sen. Carol Weston of Montville in November.

On Tuesday morning, Rodney Jennings of Leeds faces John Wakefield of Livermore in the Democratic primary in House District 81, where Jennings came out on top by three votes on June 8.

In the afternoon, ballots in the Richard Rhames-Alan Casavant Democratic primary for House District 137 will be held. The two, who are both from Biddeford, were separated by five votes, with Rhames ahead.

Not yet scheduled is a recount for House District 53 between Billie Willard of Alna and GOP primary rival Heather Beasley of Dresden. Willard goes into the recount 31 votes ahead.

Also unscheduled, in Senate District 29 in Washington County, is the recount in the Democratic race in which Kim Bagley received 173 votes in an uncontested write-in race. At least 200 votes are required for placement on the general election ballot.