Vote tallies continued to be counted in the region’s contested legislative races in the state primary election.
SENATE DISTRICT 4
Paul Davis of Sangerville opened up a lead over Douglas Thomas of Ripley in the race for the Republican nomination for the 4th district seat in the Maine State Senate.
With 81 percent of the precincts counted, Davis has 1,414 votes to 937 for Thomas, a lead of 60 percent to 40 percent.
David Ziemer of Orneville Township was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
HOUSE DISTRICT 79
Ballot counting showed a close race in the Republican primary for the District 79 seat in the state House of Representatives.
Timothy Theriault held a 29 vote lead with 66 percent of the precincts counted.
Theriault had 187 votes, or 54.2 percent of the total to 158 votes, or 45.8 percent for Robert MacFarland.
Both candidates are from China in a district that includes the towns of Albion and China and part of Benton. The winner faces Cristina Evers in the final election.
HOUSE DISTRICT 105
In the Republican primary for House District 105, Joel Stetkis of Caanan led Dwayne Littlefield of Hartland with half of the precincts counted. Stetkis had 199 votes, or 57.5 percent, while Littlefield had 147. The winner faces Democrat Daniel Swain of Caanan.
ATHENS
Mark Munn, a former Athens town moderator, was elected third selectmen for a one-year term Tuesday.
Munn, with 90 votes, defeated John Barron, a former road commissioner in Athens, who received 15 votes, another former road commissioner, Tim Small, who received 30 votes and former Athens Fire Chief Jamie Stafford who received 30 votes.
The third selectman’s seat was left vacant when Guy Anton was elected first selectman in March annual town election.
Incumbent school board member Karen Corson was defeated for in a bid for a three-year term on the new five-member board with 78 votes to challenger Sean Boyd who received 82 votes.
Gene Hay was on the ballot, running unopposed for a two-year term on the school board and receiving 147 votes.
BELGRADE
Voters on Tuesday approved an updated comprehensive plan 251-84.
In March, the state approved the updates to the document that helps plan for the town’s future.
FARMINGTON
Michael Fogg was elected to a two year term on the Board of Selectmen.
Fogg received 323 votes and candidate Matthew Smith received 298 votes. The election was held to fill a vacancy left when Andrew Hufnagel resigned.
Only 760 of the town’s more than 5,000 registered voters went to the polls.
Farmington voters also endorsed the proposed RSU 9 school budget by a margin of 491 in favor and 243 opposed.
MADISON
John Ducharme, the incumbent chair of the board of selectmen, and newcomer Michael Edgerly were elected to the Board of Selectmen Tuesday in the annual town elections.
Ducharme received 330 votes in the four-way election for two seats and Edgerly received 282, defeating Brandon Hagopian, 207 votes; and Wayne Wallace, 189 votes.
In the race for the board of directors of School Administrative District 59 Kenneth Curtis and Kristie LeBlanc were elected. Curtis received 372 votes and Curtis 401, defeating Troy Emery, the board’s current chair, who received 246 votes.
In other contested races, Robert Hagopian was elected to the Board of Assessors with 248 votes, defeating Douglas Denico, 197 votes; and Lewis Ouilette, 107 votes. The term is for three years.
Brett Hagopian, 133 votes, and Deniss Wright, 295 votes, were elected to the Board of Directors of Madison Electric Works. The term is for five years.
NORRIDGEWOCK
Voters in Norridgewock endorsed two referendum questions.
Voters approved a proposal to create a tax increment financing district in the area of the pipeline being constructed by Summit Natural Gas of Maine.
The vote was 154 voters in favor and 43 opposed. The TIF proposal will allow the town to capture some of the taxes generated by the project and apply the funds to other projects in town.
Norridgewock voters also approved new regulations for road openings, with 142 residents in favor and 46 opposed.
SAD 49
The $24.8 million budget for School Adminstrative District 49 appeared headed for an easy victory Tuesday, as results from two of the four towns in the district voted by a total of 487-260 in favor of the $24.77 million package.
More than 60 percent of Fairfield voters endorsed the proposed budget. Some 291 voters cast yes ballots and 180 voted no.
In Benton, voters approved the budget by a 194-93 vote.
Cinton and Albion votes weren’t in late Tuesday night.
Superintendent Dean Baker told district communities that the equivalent of five and a half full-time positions were eliminated in the package.
SAD 54
The SAD 54 budget won overwhelming approval from voters.
Voting in favor of the package were 1,190 votes, while 546 voted against it.
SAD 59
In School Administrative District 59, which includes Madison, voters endorsed the annual budget by a 53 vote margin. The vote on the package was 430 in favor and 377 opposed.
This story will be updated
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