CAPE ELIZABETH — A Republican candidate has been selected to run in the Maine House District 121 special election scheduled for Aug. 16.

Nancy E. Thompson, of Pine Ridge Road, was selected in a caucus of the Cape Elizabeth Republican Committee on June 17.

“We are thrilled to have such a great candidate,” RuthAnne Haley, chairwoman of the local GOP committee, said. “She is well known, involved, volunteers for many organizations and does so much for our community.”

Thompson, 52, has lived in Cape Elizabeth for 25 years and has no prior political experience, according to Haley. She works as an insurance agent at Living Wealth Partners in Portland and served on the Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation board and on the board of the Center for Grieving Children in Portland.

The District 121 seat, which represents the northern portion of the town, was vacated this spring by former Rep. Cynthia Dill, D-Cape Elizabeth. Dill won a special election to fill a vacancy in Senate District 7, representing South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and a portion of Scarborough.

Town councilors on June 13 requested the special election to replace Dill be held Nov. 8, the same day as the statewide general election.

But on June 16 the secretary of state’s office announced the special election will be held Aug. 16.

Caitlin Chamberlain, deputy secretary of communications for Secretary of State Charles Summers Jr., said Gov. Paul LePage decided the special election should be held sooner because of a special legislative session scheduled for September to discuss congressional redistricting.

The deadline for nominations is July 11.

Jaimie Wagner, chairman of the Cape Elizabeth Democratic Committee, on Wednesday said Democrats will meet after July 4 to pick a candidate.

“We’ve spoken with several qualified candidates and feel very good about our options,” he said.

Nathan Shea, chairman of the Maine Green Independent Party steering committee, said the party is looking for a candidate.

But Anna Trevorrow, chairwoman of the Portland Green Independent Party and a member of the state steering committee, said the Greens are not conducting “an intensive recruitment effort.”

“Unless someone does emerge,” she said, “we are not recruiting a candidate.”

While the local committees choose candidates affiliated with the parties, unenrolled candidates must take out nominating petitions and collect signatures from at least 200 registered voters. The papers are due at the secretary of state’s office by July 11.

Amy Anderson can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 110 or aanderson@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @amy_k_anderson.

Updated on Thursday, June 23, 2011.