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AUGUSTA – The Elections Committee of the Maine House of Representatives unanimously agreed Thursday to recommend settlements of two disputed House races that would seat incumbent Democrat Walter Ash of Belfast and incumbent Republican Jeff Kaelin of Winterport for new two-year terms.
Still pending is a third disputed House contest matching Democrat Michael McAlevey of Waterboro and Republican Lawrence Jacobsen of Waterboro, who held the seat last session.
The Elections Committee is scheduled to meet again Monday, one day before the full Legislature that was sworn in on Dec. 1 reconvenes, to try to make final its recommendation on that race.
Final determinations will be made by the narrowly Democrat-controlled House.
The Elections Committee began its review on Dec. 6 after recounts failed to resolve the three contests.
In District 139 voting in Lyman and Waterboro, McAlevey came out of Election Night with a 13-vote lead over Jacobsen, but the subsequent recount put Jacobsen ahead 2,418 to 2,412, with 13 disputed ballots, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Election night counting gave Republican Jayne Crosby Giles of Belfast a 13-vote lead over Ash in District 43, which includes Belfast, Belmont and Northport. The recount, however, shifted the advantage to Ash, 2,557-2,552, with 30 disputed ballots and eight ballots that were challenged by local election officials.
In District 42, which includes Brooks, Jackson, Monroe, Swanville, Waldo and Winterport, Kaelin had an election night lead of six votes over Brooks. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, Kaelin led after the recount 2,278 to 2,274, with 26 disputed ballots and 19 challenged ballots.
Election night tallies gave Democrats a bare majority of 76 in the 151-member House, with Republicans taking 73 seats. One seat is held by a Green Independent and one by a lawmaker not enrolled in any party.
The Elections Committee voted Thursday to, in effect, accept resolutions reached by the candidates in Districts 42 and 43.
Letters outlining the settlements, signed by lawyers for the candidates, were dated Dec. 16.
“In House District 42, the candidates agree that Jeffrey H. Kaelin received 2,289 votes and Joseph E. Brooks received 2,285 votes,” one letter stated. “This result includes all the ballots which the candidates agree are appropriate to count for either candidate.”
The letter said Brooks requested that the committee “terminate its work on this matter” and recommend the provisions of the concession agreement to the full House.
Similarly, the other letter reported that in House District 43, “the candidates agree that Walter E. Ash, Jr., received 2,574 votes and Jayne Crosby Giles received 2,569 votes. This result includes all the ballots which the candidates agree are appropriate to count for either candidate.”
Giles, further, requested that the committee forward those findings to the House.
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