AUGUSTA — By a more than 2-1 margin, state Rep. Charlotte Warren won the Democratic nomination Tuesday in the District 2 race for the Kennebec County Commissioners, according to unofficial results from municipal clerks.
Warren, who because of term limits cannot seek reelection as the state representative for Hallowell, Manchester and West Gardiner, is to face Joseph Pietroski Jr., the Republican nominee from Winthrop, in November for the open seat representing 14 communities in southern and western Kennebec County.
Rep. Charlotte Warren
Kennebec County has three county commissioners, each representing a geographic district. District 2 includes Farmingdale, Fayette, Gardiner, Hallowell, Litchfield, Monmouth, Mount Vernon, Pittston, Randolph, Readfield, Vienna, Wayne, West Gardiner and Winthrop.
Nancy Rines, the District 2 commissioner who has served most terms since 1982, has opted not to run for another term.
The commissioners oversee the county’s fiscal operations and budget that will total $17.4 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1.
They also make policy decisions that affect county government and its 170 employees. The county’s budget obligations include funding departments, including the Kennebec County Correctional Facility, the Sheriff’s Office, emergency management and registers of probate and deeds.
Warren received 1,808 votes to Philip Garwood’s 801 across the district in Tuesday’s primary for the Democratic nomination.
On Wednesday, Warren said she will continue to campaign for the general election in November as she has for the primary, talking to voters and explaining what county government does.
“I would like to explore ways to make things more accessible,” Warren said. “I think government and definitely government spending taxpayer money always does best with many more voices at the table. That’s how I come at this work.”
Garwood, who is chairman of the board of supervisors of the Kennebec River Rail Trail, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
In addition to the county commissioner seat, four other county positions are up for election this year: district attorney, treasurer, register of probate and register of deeds.
The only race that is expected to be contested in November is for register of deeds, in which Republican Matthew Boucher is taking on Democrat Diane Wilson for the seat.
Wilson was appointed register of deeds following the resignation in December of Beverly Bustin-Hatheway, who stepped down at the end of 2021 after serving in the position for 19 years.
In the other three races, the Democratic incumbents — Maeghan Maloney, district attorney; Thomas Doore, treasurer; and Kathleen Ayers, register of probate — face no opposition on the November ballot.
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