Two squeakers make Waldo recounts likely

BELFAST – Recounts are likely for a pair of incumbent Waldo County state representatives, and former state Sen. Susan Longley apparently ousted longtime Waldo County Judge of Probate Randolph Mailloux.

Two-term state Rep. Walter Ash, D-Belfast, said Wednesday he is awaiting results of a recount after unofficial returns in District 45 showed him bested by his Republican challenger, Jayne Crosby Giles, also of Belfast, by just 13 votes.

Those unofficial returns showed Giles carrying the district by a vote of 2,572 to 2,559.

“I’m just going to wait and see what happens in the next few days,” Ash said Wednesday. “I’ve had a lot of support over the years from the people of Belfast and I thank them for that.”

In an even closer race, House District 42 incumbent Jeffrey Kaelin, R-Winterport, appeared to have won a six-vote squeaker over his challenger, former state Rep. Joseph Brooks, a Winterport Democrat. Kaelin polled 2,299 to 2,293.

Ballots from both races have been impounded by state police pending the recount. Candidates must formally request a recount to set the process in motion. Both races fell within a 1 percent margin; when the percentage is within 2 percent, the state will pay for the recount if the losing candidate requests one.

In the other Waldo County legislative races, Barbara E. Merrill, D-Appleton, topped H. Robert Plausse, R-Lincolnville, in the race for the open seat of House District 44. Merrill polled 3,163 votes to Plausse’s 2,112.

In House District 45, incumbent John Piotti, D-Unity, won re-election handily over challenger Brett A. Bowser, R-Unity, 3,087 to 1,799. The race had drawn outside attention because Piotti, chairman of Unity College’s board of trustees, was challenged by Bowser, a student at the college.

In the race for the open seat in House District 41, the newly carved River District made up of towns on both sides of the Penobscot River – Searsport, Stockton Springs, Verona, Orland, Prospect and Frankfort – R. Kenneth Lindell, R-Frankfort, apparently defeated Kent Price, D-Orland, by a vote of 2,489 to 2,304.

In Senate District 23, incumbent Carol Weston, R-Montville, won a convincing re-election to a second term over Peter Misluk, D-Searsmont, by a vote of 11,727 to 9,610. While Misluk managed to draw significant support from all across the county, he could not overcome Weston’s incumbency and strength in the rural towns.

Misluk polled winning margins in five communities, including Belfast, Islesboro and his hometown, but Weston topped the ticket in the remaining 21 municipalities. The district comprises all of Waldo County.

In a surprising outcome in the only contested county race on the ballot, Mailloux, R-Belfast, the three-term incumbent Judge of Probate, was ousted by Longley, D-Liberty.

Longley polled winning margins in 16 of Waldo County’s communities. With unofficial results, Longley polled 11,402 to 10,191 for Mailloux.

Longley, daughter of the late Gov. James Longley, carried Liberty, her hometown, and also topped Mailloux in Burnham, Frankfort, Freedom, Islesboro, Jackson, Knox, Lincolnville, Montville, Palermo, Searsmont, Stockton Springs, Troy, Thorndike, Unity and Winterport.

Mailloux won in his hometown, Belfast, along with Searsmont, Belmont, Brooks, Monroe, Morrill, Northport, Prospect, Swanville and Waldo.

In his race, Ash garnered 1,947 votes from the three voting precincts in Belfast, compared with 1,803 for Giles. His numbers dipped, however, in Belmont and Northport. The vote in Northport was 518 for Giles to 395 for Ash. In Belmont, the vote was 251 to 217 for Ash. Belmont, a strong Republican town, was added to Ash’s district after the last census. Before that, the district consisted of Belfast, Northport and Islesboro.

“I always had a lot of support in Islesboro,” Ash said. “Belmont is a lot more Republican.”

In the race between Kaelin and Brooks, the latter polled winning margins in five of the district’s six towns. Though Brooks managed to top Kaelin in Brooks, Jackson, Monroe, Swanville and Waldo, it was in Winterport, where both men live, that Kaelin scored his apparent victory. Winterport voters gave Kaelin 1,193 votes to 953 for Brooks.

Attempts to reach Kaelin for a comment were unsuccessful.

Should Election Day results remain unchanged after the recounts, the Waldo County legislative delegation will be composed of four Republicans and two Democrats.