The longest-running sheriff and district attorney in the state both will hold his post for another four years, voters decided on Tuesday.

Michael Povich, the district attorney in Hancock and Washington counties for the last 32 years, was re-elected for the eighth time.

Povich, a Republican from Ellsworth, defeated Independent challenger Steven Juskewitch, garnering 55 percent of the vote.

Juskewitch, a defense attorney from Dedham, also lost to Povich in the 2002 district attorney race, although this year’s race was much closer.

“A vote for me really is a mandate for the entire office,” Povich said Wednesday “This really is a testament to the other attorneys, the witness advocates, the staff, everybody in my office.”

In the race for Hancock County sheriff, incumbent William Clark carried 57 percent of the vote to overtake Democrat Terry Cole, a former jail administrator under Clark.

Clark has been Hancock County’s top law enforcement official since 1980 and has now been re-elected eight times.

Cole also challenged Clark in the 2002 race and lost in a similar margin.

“I didn’t get too much sleep, but it seemed like a good day to be up and around,” Clark said Wednesday. “I’m relieved that it’s over with, and I think my staff is relieved as well.”

Both Clark and Povich received a big boost from the voters in Ellsworth – Hancock County’s largest town and the hometown of both men. Clark held a 2038-986 vote there, and Povich carried Ellsworth by a vote of 1871-1149.

In another Hancock County race, Republican Percy “Joe” Brown narrowly edged Democrat Par Kettis to gain a seat on the county commissioners, keeping the three-member panel GOP controlled.

Brown, who tallied 4,067 votes to 3,849 for Kettis, replaces fellow Republican Royce Perkins of Penobscot, who served only one term as a county commissioner.

Ken Shea, the Republican chairman, and Faye Lawson, the lone Democrat, are the other commissioners in Hancock County

In uncontested races, county treasurer Sally Crowley, register of deeds Julie Curtis and judge of probate James Patterson all were re-elected.

Povich and Clark both admitted that while there was considerable anti-Republican sentiment throughout the state and the country on Election Day, it didn’t seem to affect their races.