The Kennebec County Republican Committee has identified attorney Kevin Sullivan as its candidate to appear on the county’s November special election ballot for probate judge.

Sullivan, who in the past has run unsuccessfully for district attorney of Kennebec and Somerset counties as an independent and for the District 4 Gardiner City Council seat, which is a nonpartisan contest, was the only one to signal his interest to the Republicans in the nomination. Sullivan didn’t return a call immediately for comment.

The vacancy was declared after the death in September of James Mitchell, who was probate judge for 37 years.

Spokeswoman for Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, Kristen Muszynski, said no one has taken out papers to run as a nonparty candidate, and all three candidates – Sullivan, Libertarian C.H. “Skip” Spurling and Democrat Libby Mitchell, who is James Mitchell’s widow – submitted their nomination papers ahead of Friday’s 5 p.m. filing deadline.

The special election will be held Nov. 8 in conjunction with the general election.

Each of Maine’s 16 counties has a judge of probate, which is a part-time, partisan post that is filled every four years by popular election. Probate courts handle disputed estates of deceased people, adoptions, guardianships and conservatorships of disabled adults, and custody of children whose parents cannot care for them in cases that do not go through the district court child protective system.

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James Mitchell’s term would have ended Dec. 31, 2018.

The post pays $33,234 annually.

Jessica Lowell can be contacted at 621-5632 ors at:

jlowell@centralmaine.com


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