FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Jan. 10, 2020
Contact: Kristen Schulze Muszynski
626-8404/ 441-7638

Special election set to fill House District 128 seat

AUGUSTA – A special election for the Maine House of Representatives District 128 seat is scheduled to coincide with the statewide Presidential Primaries and Special Referendum Election on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.

The House seat, which represents the City of Brewer, was previously held by Rep. Arthur “Archie” C. Verow, who was elected to the position in 2018. Verow died on Dec. 19, 2019.

Per State election law, vacancies in House seats are not filled automatically; the municipal officers of the affected municipality must inform the governor if there is a need to fill the vacancy before the next general election. The governor shall then issue a proclamation and order a special election. The municipal officers of the City of Brewer so informed Gov. Janet Mills on January 3, 2020 and Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap signed the vacancy proclamation announcing the special election on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020.

Maine’s three political parties – the Democrats, Green Independents, and Republicans – will now caucus to choose their candidates for the vacant seat. Candidate nominations are due to the Office of the Secretary of State by 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2020.

Non-party candidates must circulate petitions and obtain the signatures of at least 50 registered voters in House District 128. The deadline to submit the petitions to the Secretary of State is also by 5 p.m. on January 23, 2020, after first having the signatures certified by the municipal clerks.

Write-in candidates must declare their candidacy by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. Non-party petition forms and write-in candidate declaration forms may be obtained by contacting the Elections Division of the Secretary of State at 624-7650.

The candidate who is elected in the March 3 special election will serve out the remainder of Rep. Verow’s two-year term, through December 2020.