Special election date set in Cape

CAPE ELIZABETH — It wasn’t the first choice of the Cape Elizabeth Town Council, but a date has been set to fill the House District 121 seat vacated by Cynthia Dill’s May 10 ascension to the state Senate.

At its June 13 meeting, the council declared the vacancy and voted to ask Gov. Paul LePage to set a date to coincide with the regular vote in November. Then, three days later Town Manager Mike McGovern alerted councilors of an abrupt change of plan.

“As the Maine Legislature will apparently be having a brief special session in September to resolve congressional reapportionment, Gov. LePage believes it is inappropriate to wait until November for the special election,” wrote McGovern. ”His office today contacted us to discuss the need to move forward with an election as soon as possible.”

Later that day, the Secretary of State’s Office issued a press release announcing that the governor had signed a proclamation, calling for a special election on Tuesday, Aug. 16.

According to Secretary of State Charlie Summers, the three recognized political parties in Maine have until 4 p.m. on Monday, July 11, to file a certification of nomination with his office. All three parties must caucus before the given date in order to declare a candidate.

Officials from the Republican and Green Independent parties could not be reached for comment. However, on Tuesday, Jamie Wagner, chairman of the Cape Elizabeth Democratic Committee, said he expected to announce a caucus date “shortly after July 4.”

“There have been expressions of interest, but I want to hold off on naming names as nobody has confirmed with me directly yet,” he said.

Wagner predicted a much simpler caucus than the one held this spring to fill the vacant seat for Senate District 7. For one thing, while that district covered all or part of three towns, House District 121 is confined to Cape Elizabeth. He also intimated that, by caucus day, there may be just one declared Democrat in the running. Dill, who won election to the district in November, had to defeat two challengers to win the right to give up her House seat in favor for a run at the upper chamber.

Whoever bears the Democrat’s standard, Wagner predicts an easy win for the party.

“I feel confident we can retain this seat, especially give the current climate,” he said. “In our town, there is not a lot of support for the governor and his party should not fare well in the next election.”

Anyone now enrolled in a political party can petition for a place on the ballot. According to Summers, non-party candidates must collect signatures of at least 200 registered voters in Cape Elizabeth of any political designation. Validated signatures must be submitted to Secretary of State’s Office by 4 p.m. July 11.