A state official has made a recommendation in favor of an independent U.S. Senate candidate who is hoping to get his name on the statewide ballot in November.

Brooklin resident John Knutson, chairman of the Maine Democratic Party, is challenging a petition filed by Herbert J. Hoffman of Ogunquit to have his name placed on the statewide ballot in the elections this fall. Hoffman submitted a petition to the Maine Secretary of State’s Office with 4,112 signatures, at least 4,000 of which have to be certified as valid signatures of Maine voters in order for Hoffman to make the ballot.

After reviewing Knutson’s challenge, Julie Flynn, hearing officer for the secretary of state, determined Thursday that 4,038 of the signatures are valid, according to her report. She has formally recommended that Hoffman be listed among Senate candidates on the statewide ballot this fall.

“I’m very gratified, of course,” Hoffman, a former Democrat, said Thursday. “I feel it is a decision which impacts voters throughout the state of Maine.”

The final decision is expected to be made Monday by Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap.

The Maine Democratic Party, however, is not conceding defeat. Rebecca Pollard, spokesperson for the party, issued a statement Friday that indicated Flynn’s findings support the party’s claims about the manner in which Hoffman gathered signatures.

The party has argued that many of the signatures on Hoffman’s petition appear to be forged, illegible or inconsistent with voter registration records, and also that Hoffman improperly gathered some signatures while still enrolled as a Democrat.

Pollard indicated in the statement that the party disagrees with Flynn about what should result from Flynn’s findings. According to Flynn’s report, Hoffman signed an oath that he was present when each registered voter signed his petition, but Flynn determined that Hoffman was not in close enough proximity to witness three of the voters signing the document.

Flynn invalidated those three signatures, but decided others directly next to them on the petition sheets should be considered valid because there was no testimony during the hearing that suggested Hoffman did not witness those other voters signing their names. But the Maine Democratic Party believes none of the signatures on those sheets should be counted.

“The law is very clear that these entire petitions must be voided because in these instances Mr. Hoffman’s oath is invalid,” Pollard said in the statement. “We have detailed this one flaw in a memo to Secretary of State Matt Dunlap and are confident that once corrected, it will become clear that Mr. Hoffman does not have the required 4,000 signatures to be on November’s ballot.”

Hoffman, 75, is a retired psychologist who has called for impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney over the military build-up that preceded the war in Iraq.

The two main candidates in the race, incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and 1st District U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat, oppose impeachment proceedings against the Bush administration.

A fourth candidate, independent Laurie Dobson of Kennebunkport, fell short in her bid to get her name on the ballot by 160 signatures.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

btrotter@bangordailynews.net

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