Election panel decides on disputed contests

AUGUSTA – Facing a Tuesday deadline for reporting to the full membership, the Elections Committee of the Maine House of Representatives settled on a recommendation for the last of three disputed House elections Monday by proposing that Republican Lawrence Jacobsen be declared the winner over Democrat Michael McAlevey in District 139 voting in Lyman and Waterboro.

If endorsed by the full House, the Elections Committee’s recommendations on three races that the panel was given to review would result in two reversals of election night tallies but maintain the overall political composition in the chamber, which has stood since lawmakers were sworn in on Dec. 1 at 76 Democrats, 73 Republicans, one Green Independent and one lawmaker not enrolled in any party.

Last week, the Elections Committee voted to, in effect, accept resolutions reached by the candidates in Districts 42 and 43 that would duly seat incumbent Republican Jeff Kaelin of Winterport and incumbent Democrat Walter Ash of Belfast for new two-year terms.

In District 42, which includes Brooks, Jackson, Monroe, Swanville, Waldo and Winterport, Kaelin had an election night lead of six votes over Democrat Joseph Brooks. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, Kaelin led after the recount 2,278 to 2,274.

Election night counting, meanwhile, 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 to 2,552.

The District 42 candidates ultimately agreed that Kaelin received 2,289 votes and Brooks received 2,285 votes. In District 43, the final tally would give Ash 2,574 votes and Giles 2,569 votes.

In the District 139 contest between the two candidates from 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, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Jacobsen, who held the seat last session, would be declared the winner by a vote of 2,428 to 2,422 under the terms of a settlement between representatives of the candidates that was accepted unanimously by the Elections Committee at a brief State House meeting Monday afternoon.

“I would call the people of District 139 the winners here,” the committee chairwoman, Democratic Rep. Janet Mills of Farmington, said as the panel wrapped up its deliberations.

Jacobsen hailed the committee for “the absolute fairness that everybody exhibited here.”

Final resolution by the full House of the three contested polling tallies, which involved disputed ballots, could come today.

The Maine Senate also is controlled by Democrats over Republicans, 19-16.