Chief Deputy Dale Lancaster appeared to be the winner Tuesday in the election for Somerset County sheriff.

With votes representing about 35 percent of county counted, including the larger towns of Skowhegan, Madison and Norridgewock, Lancaster led challenger Kris McKenna with 4,881 to McKenna’s 2,298.

“It was an interesting race and I’m just extremely honored and humbled by the support,” Lancaster said at press time.

The race for sheriff had been one of the most spirited county races in central Maine this year, as Lancaster, 58, of Cornville, was challenged by Waterville police officer McKenna, 38, of Skowhegan. The race featured complaints of spam emails, which more than 100 county employees claimed appeared to come from the McKenna campaign, as well as allegations that the wife of a Kennebec County sheriff’s deputy active in the McKenna campaign used a fake name to tip off the media that she had filed a complaint against Lancaster with federal authorities claiming that Lancaster broke federal law by campaigning in uniform. The federal agency which oversees the enforcement of the so-called Hatch Act threw out the complaint. Lancaster served 27 years with the Maine State Police and McKenna has been a Waterville police officer for the past seven years after serving as a patrol deputy and dispatcher in Somerset County for seven years.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Doug_Harlow

Comments are no longer available on this story