AUGUSTA – A special election for the Maine House District 56 seat is scheduled to coincide with the statewide Referendum Election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, according to Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap.

The house seat, which covers the Town of Lisbon, was previously held by Rep. Gina M. Mason, R-Lisbon, who died unexpectedly on Sept. 5.

Gov. Paul LePage and Dunlap signed the proclamation announcing the special election on Friday.

Mason was the mother of Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon, who postponed announcing a bid for the governor’s office following the unexpected death.

Friday in a Facebook post Garrett Mason wrote his father Rick Mason would be running to serve out the remainder of his late wife’s term.

“I’m proud to announce that my Dad, Rick Mason, will be running to replace her,” Garrett Mason wrote. “We are looking forward to winning in November in honor of Gina Crafts Mason.”

Maine’s four political parties – the Democrats, Green Independents, Libertarians and Republicans – will now caucus to choose their candidates for the seat. Candidate nominations are due to the Office of the Secretary of State by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

Non-party candidates must circulate petitions and obtain the signatures of at least 50 registered voters in House District 56. The deadline to submit the petitions to the Secretary of State is by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, after first having the signatures certified by the Town of Lisbon. Write-in candidates must declare their candidacy by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Non-party petition forms and write-in candidate declaration forms may be obtained by contacting the Elections Division of the Secretary of State by telephone at 207-624-7650.

The candidate who is elected in the Nov. 7 special election will serve out the remainder of Mason’s term, through Nov. 2018.