Local Election Wrap-Up

November 16, 2006

The 2006 election season came to an end last Tuesday, but the results will be longer-lasting, on municipal and state levels.

Old Town voters chose two new city councilors from the seven nominees listed on the municipal ballot last week. Final tallies show that Alan Stormann received the most votes with 1,499, with Peter Dufour garnering 1,499 votes to come in second. Of the three other city council candidates, David Cashman received 1,195 votes, Valerie Carr-Winecour received 666 votes, and Warren Morgan received 510.  Write-in candidates Charles Leithoser and Scott Cates received one vote each.

Stormann and Dufour will replace outgoing city council members Lisa Morin and ----.

David Wollstadt and Victoria Dupuis ran unopposed for three year terms on the Old Town School Board, collecting 2,355 and 2,280 votes respectively. Write-in candidates for the school board elections were Richard May, Janice Clark, Dottie DeBruyne, Kyle Smart, and David Bryant, with one vote each.

Charlene Preble was elected to the office of City of Old Town Warden with 925 votes. Margaret Manzer was a close second with 850 votes. Two other candidates, Janet Klitch and Ethel Pooler received 723 and 140 votes respectively.

Ward clerk Marie Richards received 869 votes, followed by Nancy Lee Mahan with 671 votes, and Velma Paradis with 138.

Amendment Question 1, which asked voters to accept or reject the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (otherwise known as TABOR) took a sound thumping, with 1,369 voters checking the “No” box, and 907 opting for “Yes.”

On the state level, Old Town voters helped reelect Governor John Baldacci with 1,468 votes. Republican opponent Chandler Woodcock received the second most votes with 746. Independent Barbara Merrill received 540 votes, followed by Independent/Green candidate Pat LaMarche with 297 and Phillip Morris NaPier (The People’s Hero) with 15.

In Senate, Congressional, and Legislative races:

 Republican senate incumbent, Olympia Snowe received 2,220 votes from Old Town’s registered voters. Democrat Jean Bright Hay received 702 votes. Independent William Slavick received 119.

Democratic incumbent Michael Michaud was reelected to his third term as Congressman for District 2 with 2,339 votes. Republican Laurence D’Amboise received 664 votes.

Democratic incumbent Richard Blanchard will return to Augusta as District 14 legislative representative, winning 1,199 votes over Republican opponent Riley Donovan’s 936 votes.

In the District 30 state senate race, Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Schneider held on to her seat as well, collecting 1,738 votes from Old Town residents. Republican candidate Patrick Joyce received the second most votes with 668. Independent candidate Deborah Gibbs came in at an even 600.

In Orono, Democrat Emily Cain won the race for District 19 legislative representative, taking a total of 2,332 votes to Republican opponent Lance Cowan’s 640.

A close race for District 18 Legislative Representative between Democrat Michael Dunn and Republican John Simpson went to Simpson, who received 145 votes to Dunn’s 120.

Orono voters also opted overwhelmingly to reelect Gov. John Baldacci, giving him 1,776 votes. Republican Chandler Woodcock was a distant second with 630 votes, followed by Pat LeMarche with 466, Barbara Merrill with 460, and Philip Morris NaPier (The People’s Hero) with 33.

Orono voters cast 2,594 ballots for Democratic Congressional incumbent Michael Michaud. Laurence D’Amboise recieved 675.

In the District 30 senate race, Elizabeth Schneider won by a wide margin, receiving 2,069 votes. Republican Patrick Joyce received 765 votes. Independant Deborah Gibbs received 384.

Orono voters also voted overwhelmingly to reelect Gov. John Baldacci, giving him 1,776 votes. Republican Chandler Woodcock was a distant second with 630 votes, followed by Pat LeMarche with 466, Barbara Merrill with 460, and Philip Morris NaPier (The People’s Hero) with 33.

On Referendum Question 1, Orono voters rejected TABOR 2,535 to 763.

On Referendum Question 2, asking if voters favored amending the state constitution to require that citizen’s initiative or people’s veto petitions must be submitted to local or state officials by the constitutional deadline in order to be certified, or filed with the secretary of state within 18 months, Orono voters were less divided, passing the question 1,712 to 1,273.

In Alton, voters cast 290 ballots for District 11 independent senatorial candidate William Slavick, 61 for Democratic candidate Jean Bright Hay, and 11 for Republican incumbent Olympia Snowe.

In the gubernatorial race, Republican Chandler Woodcock received the most votes with 147, followed by Democratic incumbent John Baldacci with 101 votes, Independent Barbara Merrill with 80 votes, Independent/Green candidate Pat LeMarche with 35 votes, and Philip Morris NaPier (The People’s Hero) with four votes.

Democratic Congressional incumbent Michael Michaud collected 250 votes. Republican opponent Laurence D’Amboise received 100.

In the race for District 13 legislative representative, Democratic incumbent Robert Duchesne received 206 votes, followed by Republican challenger Andrew “Willie” Gavett with 158 votes.

In the District 30 state senate race, Deborah Gibbs received the most votes, collecting 173 total, followed by Democrat6ic incumbent Elizabeth Schneider’s 1087 votes, and Republican candidate Patrick Joyce’s 79 votes.

Referendum Question was rejected by a thin margin, with 185 Alton voters rejecting it, and 171 voters giving it the green light.

The final election tallies stated that of Alton’s 607 eligible voters, 367 went to the polls last Tuesday.