FARMINGTON – Republicans caucused Tuesday night, selecting a familiar face to run for the local legislative seat in February.
Lance Harvell, an employee at Verso Paper Company, will represent the republicans in the special election for the state House of Representatives District 89 seat. That election will be held on Feb. 3, 2009, in Farmington and Industry. Political parties have until Jan. 5 to nominate candidates. Others interested in having their name on the ballot must gather 50 registered voter signatures from Farmington and Industry and submit them to the Secretary of State’s Office by Jan. 5.
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The District 89 seat was left vacant after Rep. Janet Mills (D – Farmington) was elected attorney general by the state Legislature on Dec. 4. Mills had just won a fourth term in the Nov. 4 elections.
Harvell is no stranger to the campaign trail, having previously run for the District 89 seat three times against Mills. Two of those races were both close, prompting a recount following the 2004 election.
Born in Farmington and a graduate of Mt. Blue High School, Harvell served in the U.S. Air Force in the Netherlands prior to returning to the area. He is an employee of the Verso Paper Company, and has taken classes at the University of Maine at Farmington. Harvell has been married to his wife, Bernadette Harvell, who has worked as a speech therapist in MSAD 58 for 22 years. They have two children.
He has said that his primary goal, if elected, is to limit state spending. Harvell said that the state had developed unrealistic spending habits in better economic times and now faces a major shortfall.
“If the state is living beyond its means in the good times,” Harvell asked, “what do you do in an economic downturn when you have less money and more needs? The problem is that you didn’t prepare for this.”
Franklin County Republican Chairman William Crandall said that Harvell was elected by written ballot in a race that he described as “respectful and courteous.” Harvell received more votes than the other interested republican, local business-owner and planning board member, Clayton King.
Crandall said that more than 50 people turned up for the special caucus, which lasted roughly an hour.
“I think people are very interested in local politics,” Crandall said, “with the economy in the shape its in and the state where it is financially.”
“I think people are tired of voting for people that are spending our money,” he went on to say. “People are starting to associate the republican party with fiscal conservatives in Maine.”
Crandall said that the Franklin County Republican Committee was looking to expand on gains made during the Nov. 4 election, when Jarrod S. Crockett (R – Bethel) defeated incumbent Timothy Carter (D – Bethel) for the District 91 house seat. The sudden promotion of the popular Mills, Crandall said, offered a good opportunity to do so.
“Christmas came early this year,” he joked.
Meanwhile, the Franklin County Democratic Committee will hold a public nominating caucus at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4, to select a candidate. The caucus will take place in the North Dining Hall at the University of Maine at Farmington Student Center on South Street.
