PORTLAND — Voters who head to the polls for the Democratic, Republican, and Green Independent primaries on Tuesday, June 12, will make choices that determine several candidates in the November general election.
They include primaries for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, state Legislature, Cumberland County commissioner and county register of probate.
Other candidates are uncontested in their party primaries.
U.S. Senate
The Senate seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, is the most candidate-heavy of any of the races.
State Sen. Cynthia Dill of Cape Elizabeth, former Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap of Old Town, state Rep. Jon Hinck and homebuilder Justin B. Pollard, both of Portland, are vying for the Democratic nomination.
The Republican primary is even more crowded, with former Senate President Richard Bennett of Oxford, former Lisbon Falls Selectman Scott D’Amboise, state Sen. Debra Plowman of Hampden, state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin of Georgetown, Attorney General William Schneider of Durham, and Secretary of State Charles Summers Jr. of Scarborough hoping to seek Snowe’s coveted seat in November.
There are no Green candidates on the ballot.
The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will face opposition in November from a handful of independent candidates: former Gov. Angus King of Brunswick, conservative activist Andrew Ian Dodge of Harpswell, Yarmouth Town Council Chairman Steve Woods and Brunswick resident Danny Dalton.
U.S. House
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-North Haven, is unchallenged in her party primary. Republicans Patrick Calder, a Portland merchant marine, and state Senate Majority Leader Jonathan Courtney of Springvale oppose each other for the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District.
Legislature
In House District 115, three Democrats are seeking the party nomination and the chance to replace Democratic Rep. Stephen Lovejoy: Justin Costa, Erik Jorgensen, and Malory Shaughnessy. Republican Christopher Jordan and Green Seth Burner are unopposed.
In District 117, incumbent Democratic Rep. Anne Haskell is not seeking re-election because she is a candidate in state Senate District 9. Three Democrats are in the House primary: Dauna Binder, Anthony Donovan, and Richard Farnsworth. David Caron is the lone Republican candidate; William Linnell seeks the Green nomination.
Dillon Bates and Matthew Moonen are competing for the Democratic nomination in House District 118, to replace U.S. Senate hopeful Hinck. Chase Martin is the Republican candidate, and Thomas Macmillan is the Green.
Cumberland County
Two Democrats, Thomas Coward and Boyd Marley, both of South Portland, are vying for the County Commissioner seat now held by Richard Feeney in District 4. District 4 includes Cape Elizabeth, Westbrook, South Portland, and Portland Precinct 5-2.
Incumbent Register of Probate John O’Brien of Portland is challenged in the Democratic primary by Nancy Thurber of Falmouth.
Portland will operate all its polling stations on during the June 12 primary from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polling station locations can be found on the city website.
Andrew Cullen can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 100 or acullen@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter at: @ACullenFore.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.