Election Results

Following are among the people elected as selectmen or councilors during Nov. 8, 2011 balloting. Uncontested races are not included.

Bath: Meadow Rue Merrill defeated Ward 1 incumbent Councilor James Omo by a vote of 218-210. Incumbent at-large Councilor Andrew Winglass defeated two challengers, with 1,156 votes.

Dexter: Incumbent Councilor Dave Clukey and newcomer Michelle Smith won election against two other candidates, including former Councilors Fred Banks and Charles “Chip” Merrill. Clukey won the most votes at 815; Smith initially held an eight-vote lead over Banks until a Nov. 18 recount slightly increased her total, to 511 votes.

Ellsworth: Incumbent Councilors John Moore and John Phillips received 1,399 and 1,235 votes respectively, to win new three-year terms, fending off a challenger who received 582 votes.

Hampden: Bill Shakespeare was defeated for re-election to the town council when Jeremy Williams garnered 443 votes to Shakespeare’s 231. Tom Brann beat back a challenge to win another term with 304 votes. Jean Lawlis held her seat against two opponents by winning 287 votes.

Houlton: Incumbent Susan Tortello received the most votes with 1,033, while two other candidates, Paul Cleary and Robert Hannigan, also defeated challenger Carl Lord, a former one-term councilor, to win three open seats. Incumbent Councilor Mike Jenkins defeated former Councilor Phil Bernaiche, 800-414, for a one-year term.

Old Orchard Beach: Incumbents Sharri MacDonald and Michael Coleman won two-year terms in a five-way race for two seats. MacDonald received 1,874 votes, while Coleman collected 1,327.

Old Town: Incumbent Councilor David Mahan placed fourth in a six-way race for three open seats on the board. He missed re-election by 77 votes. The top three vote-getters were: William Lovejoy with 1,188 votes; Stanley Peterson with 1,148 votes; and, Linda McLeod, with 990 votes. Lovejoy is a former councilor.

Pittsfield: Donna Chale defeated Crystal Witham by a vote of 145-114, to win the seat vacated by Bill Bradshaw last July.

Portland: In her first contested race since 2008, Councilor Cheryl Leeman won a 10th term by easily defeating her challenger, 2,771-1,124.

Presque Isle: Incumbent Councilor Don Gardner and three other candidates were defeated by Peter Hallowell and Micah Demond to win two four-year terms on the council. Hallowell was filling the unexpired one-year term of Jennifer Trombley, who resigned in 2010. Meanwhile, in a race for two one-year terms on the council, Richard Engles and Jessica Chase Smith defeated a third candidate with 1,379 and 1,322 votes respectively.

Sabattus: James Wood defeated Scott Lansley, 666-577, to win an open seat on the Board of Selectmen.

Saco: Incumbent Councilors Mark Johnston and Marston Lovell prevailed over challengers to win with 3,249 and 2,255 votes, respectively. Johnston defeated former Councilor Jeffrey Christenbury, while Lovell bested Johnston’s son, Nathan, who made his first foray into a municipal election.

Westbrook: Incumbent Colleen Hilton defeated mayoral challenger Bruce Chuluda, 2,659-2,350, in a rematch of their 2009 race. Chuluda had served as mayor for six years before losing to Hilton two years ago.

Windham: Incumbent Councilor Tommy Gleason defeated challenger Patrick Corey, 2,036-1,801, to earn a three-year term on the board. Gleason was elected for the first time last year to a 1-year term. David Nadeau and Dennis Welch also won election against write-in candidates and will fill three-year terms.

Liz Chapman Mockler is a freelance writer and editor from Augusta,
lizmockler@hotmail.com