2 Down East Dems launch campaigns

Two men are stepping forward as willing candidates to fill vacancies for the Democratic ticket for the state Legislature in the general election Nov. 7.

Harold Prescott of Whiting will run in District 32, which has 10 municipalities that stretch from Machias to Eastport. If he gains a nomination from district towns Sunday, he will face the Republican incumbent, Rep. Harold “Ian” Emery of Cutler.

In District 33, the western part of Washington County, Clifford Norton of Jonesport wants to face Joseph Tibbetts, a Republican running for the seat currently held by Rep. Eddie DuGay of Cherryfield.

DuGay is termed out after having served for eight years.

Both men are seeking the nomination of the caucuses of their respective districts – and both of those meetings will take place Sunday, July 17.

The District 32 caucus takes place at 2 p.m. at the Whiting Community Building. District 32 municipalities include Cutler, Eastport, Lubec, Machias, Machiasport, Roque Bluffs and Whiting, plus the unorganized territory of Trescott.

The District 33 caucus begins at 2 p.m. at the Steuben town office. District 33 towns include Addison, Beals, Cherryfield, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Harrington, Jonesport, Milbridge and Steuben.

House Majority Leader Glenn Cummings, D-Portland, has said that Sunday’s caucus voting will be restricted just to those Democrats who attended this spring’s caucuses in the District 32 or 33 towns.

Attendance at those caucuses was light, but as few as two people need to cast votes for a valid nomination.

Other Democrats in addition to Prescott or Norton may be nominated from the floor at the respective caucuses.

The District 32 vacancy has occurred because J.R. Gibson of Machiasport, who had agreed to run several months ago, has decided against that move for reasons related to his work.

District 33 has a vacancy because Peter Weil of Steuben agreed to appear on the ballot merely as a “paper candidate,” a placeholder until a truer candidate could be identified and nominated.

Prescott, 62, served as the Washington County sheriff from 1982 to 1990. He also was the chief of police in Machias in 2002 and since has been self-employed in construction and land development.

He ran for the state Senate in 1998 and lost to Vinton Cassidy of Calais.

“I figured that J.R. would do all right on the ballot for the Democrats,” Prescott said. “But when I realized he was getting out, I decided that I could run.

“I also was asked to do it, and after some consideration, I decided to go ahead with it.”

Norton, 32, is a Jonesport native. He has an accounting degree from Beal College in Bangor and has done professional coursework in banking at Williams College in Massachusetts.

He has 10 years in banking, working most recently with the Bangor Savings Bank branches in Machias and Jonesport. As a community volunteer, he has served on the Moosabec Community School District board for 10 years and on the Jonesport Elementary School board for two years.

“Our caucus is Sunday, so I am trying to get around and let everyone know that I’m running,” Norton said. “I’m really excited about this.”