Three House races remain in dispute

AUGUSTA – As the Maine Secretary of State’s Office continues its record number of legislative recounts, three House races are pivoting on a handful of ballots either cast by absentee voters, challenged by municipal officials or disputed by the candidates.

On Monday, House District 67 incumbent Rep. Deborah J. Hutton, D-Bowdoinham, prevailed in a challenge by Brian D. Hobart, R-Bowdoinham after the recount gave the winner a 30-vote margin of victory. And after a partial recount, Democrat Jeffrey Evangelos of Friendship withdrew his recount request in House District 49, leaving Wesley Richardson, R-Warren, the winner.

A recount in House District 139, where Lawrence E. Jacobsen, R-Waterboro, is challenging Michael J. McAlevey, D-Waterboro, remained unresolved, according Deputy Secretary of State Doug Dunbar.

House District 139 now joins two other House races that will require further negotiations between lawyers representing Republicans and Democrats. Last Friday, a recount in the House District 43 race appeared to have reversed preliminary results, now placing incumbent Rep. Walter Ash, D-Belfast, ahead of Jayne Crosby Giles, R-Belfast.

The second unresolved House recount Friday was in District 42, where Democrat Joe Brooks was unofficially trailing incumbent Rep. Jeff Kaelin by four votes. Both candidates are from Winterport.

Dunbar said state election officials expect all parties in the three unresolved House races to continue deliberating on the ballots throughout the week in an effort to resolve the races.

“These recounts have been continued because the candidates did not sign off on a result,” he said. “This is a resolution-oriented process where we will proceed and the candidates can bring their people to the table to count the ballots, but ultimately they need to come to agreement. If they can’t and there are enough disputed ballots to make a difference in the outcome of the race it would have to go to the House for a final determination.”