House District 76

Belgrade, Fayette, Mount Vernon, Rome, Vienna, Wayne

Hilliard (R) 1,899, Tracy (D) 1,247

Democrat Richard Tracy of Rome, an experienced legislator, was ousted by Republican Gary Hilliard of Belgrade, a business owner, 1,899 to 1,247.

The two men are seeking a seat held by Republican Rep. Dennis Keschl of Belgrade who opted out of a re-election bid.

Hilliard, 59, got his start in business in bottle redemption and later moved into recycling. He classifies himself as a legislative outsider, but he hopes to help make Maine friendlier to business.

Tracy said the open seat, the recent redistricting that brought in Belgrade, a town where he enjoyed lots of support previously, and his age — 63 — all factored into his candidacy some dozen years after he last served.

House District 77

Sidney, part of Oakland

Tibbetts (D) 1,894, *Nutting (R) 2.217

Former House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, was his bid for re-election against Sydney Democrat Alan Tibbetts, who made his first try for elected office.

Nutting, 67, served as speaker in the 2011-12 session, and has served several terms in the House. He also served for nearly ten years an Oakland town councilor. He is a pharmacist with Oakland Pharmacy. He says helping residents deal with the government bureaucracy in Augusts is his favorite part of holding office and says he would like to help bring state spending under control.

Tibbets, 57, served 33 years in the Maine National Guard and the Army National Guard. He said he would bring change to a situation in which “people who work hard and play by the rules keep losing ground.”

House District 78

Winslow, part of Benton

*Nadeau (D) 2,232, Morissette (R) 1,694

In their third consecutive rate head-to-head race, Rep. Catherine Nadeau, D-Winslow, was re-elected to the Legislature, beating Republican Susan Morissette, also from Winslow. Votes totaled 2,232 to 1694. Each woman has won one of the matches, Nadeau winning by 52 votes last year, and Morissette winning by 243 votes in 2010.

Nadeau thanked voters for high turnout at the polls.

“We had an amazing turnout,” she said. “All you can do is thank them for coming out and showing their voice. That’s an amazing thing.”

Nadeau, 56, calls herself “Winslow and Benton’s common-sense voice in Augusta. She advocates increasing the lodging tax or enacting a seasonal sales tax to generate more revenue so that vacationers can share some of the state’s tax burden.

Morissette said during the campaign she would like to reduce state spending so that there would be more money available for local government operations and for school districts.

House District 79

Albion, China, Unity Township, part of Benton

Evers (D) 632, Theriault (R) 1,189

Republican Timothy Theriault was elected over Democrat Christina Lewis Evers, both from China, to replace H. David Cotts, who must sit out the term because of term limits. The results were incomplete Tuesday night.

Evers is a former bank vice president who is now a sales agent with Adams Realty, and said during that campaign that she would like to see Maine adopt an expansion of Medicaid. “Keeping our citizens health should be a priority,” she said. Evers has experience with non-profit agencies, including the United Way and the Augusta Food Bank.

Theriault is chief of the China Village Fire Department, and owns a golf course in Albion. He opposed extending the Medicaid programs saying “the state needs to be fiscally responsible.” He pointed to his experience on the China Budget Committee in his call for keeping an eye on spending.

House District 80

Part of Augusta, Vassalboro, Windsor, Somerville, Hibberts Gore

*Fowle (D), 1,196 Bates (R) 1,017

Democratic incumbent Lori Fowle of Vassalboro was re-elected, beating out Republican Ray Bates of Windsor. The results were incomplete Tuesday night.

Fowle, 52, is completing her first term in the Maine House of Representatives and is on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. She sponsored a successful bill to expand the Kennebec County’s Veterans Treatment Court program to other counties and was honored by the American Legion for her work on behalf of veterans.

Bates, 59, brings to his candidacy years of experience in municipal government in Windsor. He said he would like to examine rules and regulations that affect small businesses and see if changes can be made to reduce those burdens.

House District 99

Brooks, Burnham, Freedom, Jackson, Knox, Monroe, Thorndike, Troy, Unity

*Jones (D) 306, Kinney (R) 446

Republican MaryAnne Kinney, of Knox, was leading challenger Rep. Brian Jones, D-Freedom, as the district’s next representative, according to incomplete results/

Both were critical of the political dialogue in Augusta during the campaign.

Jones called the debate over issues at the state capital “toxic and destructive,” while Kinney said she was disappointed with “political games being played in the Legislature.”

Jones has a long career in education and served in several town offices in Freedom.

While Kinney was making her first bid for elected office, she said that her experience as a self-employed farmer involved in the Maine Farm Bureau gave her a unique perspective on the needs of her district.

House District 104

Charleston, Dexter, Exeter, Garland, Stetson

Pearson (D), *Wallace (R)

Election results were not in by deadline in the race with Republican Raymond Wallace verses David Pearson in a rematch of their 2010 race, in the former District 24, which also included the towns of Harmony, Dexter and Athens. Both men are from Dexter

Wallace, 65, was a pattern maker for Dexter Shoe who was first elected in a special election in 2011. He has been a supporter of the proposed east-west highway.

District 105

Cambridge, Canaan, Hartland, Palmyra, Ripley, St. Albans

Swain (D), 2,221 Stetkis (R) 1,109

Republican Joel Stetkis was elected, beating challenger Democrat Daniel Swain. Both live in Canaan.

Stetkis, 48, is a self-employed contractor at A.J. Vinyl Works. He is opposed to raising the minimum wage and said that prior to elections that his priority would be to create a better job outlook in Somerset County.

Swain, 26 the assistant house manager of an adult group home in Madison, said working with adults with developmental disabilities sparked his interest in government and specifically in funding for social services and improving care for the elderly and mentally ill.

House District 106

Clinton, Detroit, Pittsfield

*Short (D), 1,498 Strom (R), 1,397 (incomplete)

Election results were not clear in the race with incumbent Democrat Stanley B. Short Jr., verses Republican Scott Strom, for District 106.

Short, 63, is completing his first term in the House of Representatives and is on the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.

He is retired after working as a representative in the labor relations department at General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works shipyard.

Strom, 40, is employed at Argo Marketing Group in Pittsfield. He is a 20-year Navy veteran.

“The No. 1 thing that would help funding local communities would be more jobs coming to Maine,” Strom said.

Short said the most important issue facing the people of his district and all of central and northern Maine is jobs. When people are out of work and businesses close, less money is spent in the community and tax revenue suffers, he said.

“All of this just adds to the need of state revenue sharing to be returned to its initial percentage,” he said.

Short said he is in favor of Medicare expansion in Maine because it will provide “life-saving health insurance” to uninsured Maine veterans.

Strom said he does not support Medicaid expansion.

House District 107

Skowhegan, Somerset County jail in East Madison

*McCabe (D) 2,149, Amadon (R) 1,319

Three-term incumbent Jeff McCabe, a Democrat, once was elected to his seat, running against political newcomer Timothy Amadon, a Republican. Both are from Skowhegan.

McCabe, 36, the director of Lake George Regional Park in Skowhegan and Canaan, said property taxes are too high, and he will work to find “creative ways to prevent property taxes from driving families, seniors and businesses out of town, while maintaining vital services. He also said issues of heating and energy, health insurance, property taxes and protection of the area’s environmental heritage will continue to top his agenda.

Amadon, 54, promised to bring honesty, logic, compassion and fairness to serving in Augusta. He described himself as being fiscally conservative and someone who will fight to protect individual rights.

Amadon said the most important issue in Skowhegan is increasing business and job opportunities, which would reduce the need for assistance programs and rejuvenate the economy and people’s self-esteem.

House District 108

Fairfield, Mercer, Smithfield

*Kusiak (D) 1,308, Picchiotti (R) 1,402

Election results were not in by deadline in the race with incumbent Karen Kusiak, a Democrat, verses Republican former state Rep. John Picchiotti. Both are from Fairfield.

Kusiak, an educator who “teaches teachers,” said full funding for public education and a return to full municipal revenue sharing are tops on her list of goals if she is returned to office. Kusiak said state revenue sharing is important for all Maine cities and towns to maintain vital municipal services while protecting local property taxpayers.

She said she supports Medicaid expansion to allow Maine to extend health care coverage to additional low-income residents.

Picchiotti, said he has had many years experience trying to get businesses and government to work together. He said he would like to reform welfare to help the truly needy and give a hand to people who have fallen down and get them back on their feet. He also said Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, Picchiotti said the measure is “being sold as cheap and easy,” but in the long run it will not be. He said Maine has a balanced budget law and funding the program would result in either drastic budget cuts or raising taxes or both.

District 109

Southeastern Waterville

*Longstaff (D)

Rep. Thomas Longstaff was elected unopposed for his third term in the House of Representatives.

He said that he will make legislation aimed at attracting new business to the region a major priority in his campaign, and will work to balance the state budget so that the state can meet its commitment to 55 percent funding for education. He also wants to provide health care to thousands of Mainers through expansion of the MaineCare program funded by an expansion of Medicaid.

He said the most important issues facing his district are the need to balance the state budget, provide better health care for thousands of people in Maine and adopt legislation that will help attract new businesses to Maine and allow those already established to prosper.

District 110

Downtown and much of rural Waterville west of Interstate 95 and part of Oakland

*Beck (D) 1,739, Andre (R) 1,158

Incumbent Henry Murphy Beck, a Waterville Democrat, succeeded in his run for re-election against Mark Andre, a Republican, in a rematch of the 2012 election.

Beck, of Waterville, is an attorney for Jabar Laliberty in Waterville.

Andre, of Oakland, is the owner of Thornridge Farms Nursery in Fairfield who has worked in auto and real estate sales and as a substitute teacher and charter board captain.

Beck has called for legalizing marijuana and using the money the state makes on an excise tax on it to meet its obligation for funding education.

He said his family came to the community nearly a century ago to put down roots and start a business. He grew up in Waterville graduated from Colby College, and he has made his life in the city.

Andre said revenue sharing money should be restructured so that towns are rewarded for keeping their budgets level funded with an adjustment for inflation. He said he was running for the seat because he wants to reduce wasteful spending programs in Augusta and lower the resulting tax burden on Waterville and Oakland residents through a three-step program.

District 111

Norridgewock, Solon and all of Madison except for the county jail

*Dorney (D) 1,501, Farrin (R) 1,798 (incomplete)

Democrat incumbent Ann Dorney, of Norridgewock, was ousted by retired Maine Air National Guard veteran Bradlee Farrin, a Republican.

Dorney, 61, is a physician at Skowhegan Family Medicine who said that affordable energy and health care issues, including the expansion of MaineCare, are her top priorities.

Dorney also has advocated for reducing energy costs and creating more jobs around energy efficiency. For the last two years, she has sponsored an annual Energy Expo at Madison Area Memorial High School as part of an effort to educate people on ways they can make their homes and businesses more efficient. The event also brings in people in the energy industry to discuss sources of alternative energy.

Farrin, 50, is also from Norridgewock and is a facilities manager for Milton CAT, a Massachusetts-based construction company. Welfare reform and job creation are important issues for Farrin, who also said he opposes a state-wide referendum question that asks residents if they want to ban the practice of bear baiting. He said his recent retirement from the Army National Guard is what inspired him to run for office and that if elected, he would like to focus on welfare reform and job creation.

House District 112

Avon, Carrabassett Valley, Carthage, East Central Franklin, Kingfield, Phillips, Sandy River, South Franklin, Weld, Anson, New Portland and Starks

Frost (D), Skolfield (R)

Election results were not in by deadline in the race with former Weld selectman verses Thomas Skolfield, a Republican, to represent several Franklin and Somerset county towns, beating Democrat Jack Frost, an Anson business owner.

In seeking the seat that covers a dozen communities in Franklin and Somerset counties, Skolfield, a retired employee of the state Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, ran on a platform of cutting the costs of government.

Overturning some of Gov. Paul Lepage’s vetoes was a key part of Frost’s platform. He owns a property management company in Anson. Skolfield, a former chairman of the Weld Board of Selectman, advocated cutting what he called overspending by the state government, with the goal of providing more money for local communities.

House District 113

Farmington, New Sharon

David (R) 1,751, Buckland (R) 2095

Farmington Selectmen Andrew Buckland was elected to represent his hometown as well as New Sharon, beating out Democrat Edward David, a Farmington attorney.

Buckland succeeds state Rep. Lance Harvell who withdrew from the race after winning renomination in the June primary.

Buckland, owner of a instrument rental and music lesson business, said he wants to help create new opportunities for small businesses, and called for lawmakers to work to reduce energy costs.

David said he ran because he wanted to expand MaineCare, and made the controversial expansion of the state Medicaid program a big issue in his campaign. He practices family law in Farmington and is a board member at Greater Franklin Development Corp.

House District 114

Chesterville, Industry, New Vineyard, Strong, Temple and Wilton

Black (R), Iverson (D)

Republican incumbent Russell Black faced off against Democrat Guy Iverson. Results were not available.

Two-term state representative Black said because he represents a rural area, his efforts go into protection natural resources in order to also protect tourism and jobs.

Iverson, a self-described conservative Democrat from Chesterville, said he ran to find savings on behalf.

House District 117

Coplin, Dallas, Eustis, North Franklin, Rangeley, Rangeley Plantation, West Central Franklin, Andover, Bethel, Byron, Gilead, Greenwood, Hanover, Lincoln, Magalloway, Newry, North Oxford, South Oxford, Stoneham, Stow, Upton, part of Lovell

Pecunies (D) 1,375 Head (R) 1,524 (incomplete)

Election results were not clear in the race against Republican Frances Head against Democrat Callie Pecunies, in the sprawling District 117 to succeed Rep. Jarrod Crockett, a popular Democrat who was elected with 68 percent of the vote in 2010 in the district that stretches from Stow to the Canadian border. Both candidates are active in the real estate business in Oxford County. Head is a resident of West Bethel, while Pecunies is a resident of Albany Township.

House District 118

Athens, Bingham, Brighton, Caratunk, Central Somerset, Cornville, Dennistown, Embden, Harmony, Highland, Jackman, Moose River, Moscow, Northeast Somerset, Northwest Somerset, Pleasant Ridge, Seboomook Lake, The Forks, West Forks, Wyman Township, Kingsbury and Wellington

Quinn (D), *Dunphy (R)

Elections results were not on the race with two-term incumbent Republican Larry Dunphy won House District 118 against newcomer Matthew Quinn, a Democrat.

Dunphy, 62, of Embden, said the state needs to address the abuse of cash on EBT cards and that if re-elected he would like to explore sources of alternative energy in Maine. He has served two terms in the Legislature and spent most of his career working as a production supervisor at Madison Paper Industries, said he hopes to continue serving on the legislative Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee and address welfare reform if elected.

Quinn, 35, of Cornville, a former board member of School Administrative District 54, is a volunteer firefighter in Cornville and Skowhegan and works at Lakewood Theater in Madison. The economy and jobs are among the most important issues facing the area, he said. He also said he is willing to take a look at a variety of alternative energy sources.

Copy the Story Link