Here’s a look at what’s on the ballot in Sagadahoc County this November. For information on how and where to vote, see our resources page. If you have questions about the upcoming election, please contact your town clerk.
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County races
In Sagadahoc County, the following county offices are elected: Judge of Probate, Register of Probate, County Treasurer, Register of Deeds, Sheriff, County Commissioner (three seats), and District Attorney. You can read about what each of these offices do by clicking the dropdowns below.
County commissioners are elected to oversee county government operations in each of Maine’s 16 counties, from the budget to the county jail to emergency management services. In recent years, they have been responsible for distributing millions of dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act and opioid settlement funds.
Counties have either three, five or seven commissioners, each of whom serves a separate district within the county. This year, Franklin County is expanding from three to five commissioners to reflect its growing population.
Commissioners serve four-year terms. At least two county commissioners in each county are on the ballot this November. Of the 37 county commissioner seats up this year, only 15 are contested races.
The sheriff is the top law enforcement officer in the county, responsible for enforcing laws and ensuring public safety. The sheriff oversees the county jail, manages deputies and other staff, and works with other law enforcement agencies.
Duties include enforcing state and local laws, providing security for county courts, serving legal documents and executing warrants. A county sheriff can be either appointed or elected. This year, the sheriff position is up for election in Aroostook, Franklin, Kennebec and Sagadahoc counties.
There has been some concern over mental health training protocols within sheriff departments across the state in the wake of the Lewiston shooting.
Treasurers are the bookkeepers of a county’s finances: they manage county expenditures, ensuring funds are spent where directed by county commissioners, and provide annual reports on county revenues.
Androscoggin, Cumberland and Knox county commissioners all appoint their treasurers, while voters in the rest of Maine’s counties elect their treasurer every four years. Only the Waldo County treasurer is up for election this November.
County treasurers must be residents of their county but do not require any licenses or qualifications. This caused some controversy in 2018, when Hancock County elected a treasurer without finance experience.
Probate judges oversee wills, estates, name changes and guardianships of adults and minors. They must be attorneys and are elected to four-year terms. Maine’s probate courts operate independently in each county, and the judges are generally part-time elected officials.
Probate judges handle disputes related to wills and estates, approve the appointment of guardians (who have the authority to make decisions for adults the court deems incapacitated), and hear cases related to trusts and adoptions.
Probate judges are up for reelection this year in nine counties: Aroostook, Kennebec, Lincoln, Oxford, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo and York.
Samantha Hogan’s Maine Monitor series on Maine’s probate courts, which won her a Livingston Award for Young Journalists, uncovered systemic problems. Among her findings were that the probate courts do not employ investigators to check on adults under guardianships or conduct financial audits, and that eight adults under public guardianship died in unexplained ways in three years.
A register of probate serves as the custodian and record-keeper for all documentation relating to wills, guardianships and conservatorships, adoptions, trusts and name changes filed with a county’s probate office.
Paramount among the register’s responsibilities is ensuring that all documents, from name-change petitions to the transfer of real estate dictated by a will, are properly recorded and submitted into the public record. Among the register’s other duties are to certify and record name changes and account for and report to the county treasurer all fees paid to the probate office.
This year, registers of probate are on the ballot in Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo and York counties.
The register of deeds is responsible for managing county property records: recording all documents and survey plans that affect property in the county as well as maintaining an index of buyers’ and sellers’ names.
Some countries are now providing fraud alerts as scams in which people attempt to sell or mortgage a property by impersonating an owner are growing.
The register of deeds is appointed in Androscoggin, Cumberland and Knox counties, and elected every four years in Maine’s other 13 counties. This year, only the Somerset register of deeds is on the ballot.
District attorneys are prosecutors that represent the government against people who have been charged with a crime, and are responsible for prosecuting the majority of criminal cases that occur within their districts (there’s an exception for murders, which are handled by the attorney general’s office).
After police charge an individual with a crime, the district attorney’s office determines whether there is enough evidence to bring a charge to court. Maine has a large backlog of criminal cases and is building a new network of public defender’s offices across the state to represent poor clients in cases brought by the district attorney’s offices.
All of the state’s eight district attorneys are elected to serve four-year terms and are up for reelection in 2026; none are on the ballot this year.
Here are the state’s eight prosecutorial districts and district attorneys:
First District — York: Kathryn Slattery
Second District — Cumberland: Jacqueline Sartoris
Third District — Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford: Neil McLean Jr.
Fourth District — Kennebec and Somerset: Maeghan Maloney
Fifth District — Penobscot and Piscataquis: Christopher Almy
Sixth District — Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Waldo: Natasha Irving
Seventh District — Hancock and Washington: Robert C. Granger
Eighth District — Aroostook: Todd Collins
This year, there are six county races on the ballot: judge of probate, three county commission seats, sheriff and register of probate.
The District 2 Sagadahoc County Commissioner seat was filled by appointment after the incumbent resigned. The individual elected to the position in November will serve two years to fulfill the original term.
You can read about the candidates and see how they responded to our county office candidate survey by clicking on the races below.
Sean C. Paulhus, of Bath, is the incumbent. He served on the Bath City Council for 13 years and has worked as an assistant in Maine’s Office of the State Auditor and as sergeant at arms for the Maine Senate. He resigned as state representative in July 2023 when he was appointed by Gov. Janet Mills to take on the role of Sagadahoc County register of probate after Jean Guzzetti stepped down. He is running unopposed.
Paulhus did not respond to The Monitor’s survey.
Charles Earl Crosby III, of Topsham, is the incumbent. He was a county commissioner from 1992 to 2004, served as a state representative in the 122nd legislature, then was re-elected to the county commission in 2012. He is running unopposed.
Crosby did not respond to The Monitor’s survey.
Stephen M. August, of Bath, is the current county commissioner for District 2. He holds degrees from the University of Maine and the University of Colorado and served in the military for four years. He worked for the New York State Assembly for over 25 years and retired in 2007. He was recognized as Bath Citizen of the Year in 2020.
Tell us a bit about your relevant experience for this position.
I have extensive experience in the public sector and am currently serving as the County Commissioner for District 2. As Commissioner, I serve on the Two Bridges Regional Jail Authority, the District 6 Corrections Collaborative, and the County Board of Health. Also, during my time in Bath, I was elected and served on the RSU 1 School Board for 9 years including several years as chair of the Board. Both of these experiences have helped me understand the communities I serve, the challenges our families face and, as an elected official, I have worked constructively with others to meet the needs of our citizens. While living in a small, rural community in Upstate New York for many years, I was an elected town councilperson, school board member, and an EMT with the local volunteer fire company. All these experiences helped me to appreciate the challenges facing our families and taxpayers while tasked with meeting the obligations of local government. My budget experience is extensive; I worked for over 25 years as staff to the fiscal committee of the New York State Assembly and retired as Budget Director for the State Assembly in 2007.
Why should voters choose you?
I have broad experience serving this community and am committed to making Sagadahoc County government effective and efficient. For me, public service and volunteerism is a rewarding way to apply my skills in service to the community. I work collaboratively with others to solve problems in a fiscally responsible way.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the office you are running for, and how do you plan on addressing it?
The challenge facing all levels of government is that needs usually exceed the fiscal resources available to meet those needs. Decision makers must balance between funding services and the tax burden levied on our taxpayers. We have to continue to look for operating efficiencies, such as opportunities to coordinate services with other governmental entities particularly in the management of the regional jail, and opportunities to increase revenue by accessing grants that do not increase the local tax burden.
Anything else you think voters should know?
Working as a member of a small board, you need to be clear explaining your positions, persuasive in convincing other board members to consider your opinion, listen to other board members, and have a willingness to act collaboratively.
Wendy A. Wright, of Bath, has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and experience in accounting. She has been a substitute teacher in RSU 1, worked as the deputy registrar in Bath and as an election clerk. She also has experience as a family and recovery coach.
Wright did not respond to The Monitor’s survey.
Todd W. McPhee, of Woolwich, is a graduate of Morse High School, the proprietor of McPhee’s Wreaths and previously worked at Bath Iron Works. He was a Woolwich selectman from 1999 to 2011. He has also served on the Sagadahoc County Budget Advisory Committee.
Tell us a bit about your relevant experience for this position.
Presently vice chair of Two Bridges Regional Jail, member of the finance committee, and grounds committee at Two Bridges Regional Jail.
Why should voters choose you?
I am very good at getting the results that are needed without significant increases in taxes.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the office you are running for, and how do you plan on addressing it?
Trying to have the funding needed for nessesary services without an increase in taxes.
Anything else you think voters should know?
I am very reliable, and available for conversation.
Kelly F. James, of Georgetown, runs an oyster farm with her family, and ran for state representative in 2022. She has served on the Georgetown School Committee, AOS 98 School Board, Georgetown Historical Society, Sagadahoc County Budget Advisory Committee and the Phippsburg Sportmen’s Association.
James did not respond to The Monitor’s survey.
David Paris, of Bowdoinham, is the incumbent and was elected as Sagadahoc County judge of probate in 2020 after 30 years of private practice doing criminal and civil litigation. He continues to operate his own legal practice based in Bath where he focuses on criminal defense, family law and social security appeals.
Paris did not respond to The Monitor’s survey.
Joel A. Merry, of West Bath, is the incumbent, currently serving his fourth term as the sheriff of Sagadahoc County. Prior to this position, he served 25 years with the Bath Police Department. He attended Southern New Hampshire University and has lived in West Bath for 42 years. His office has been under scrutiny since the mass shooting in Lewiston last fall, and he is running against his deputy.
Tell us a bit about your relevant experience for this position.
I have been a law enforcement officer for 41 years. Nearly all of that in either a supervisor or administrative capacity. I have attended numerous leadership and management trainings, including the National Sheriff’s Institute and the IACP Leadership in Police Organizations. I am a graduate of the New England Institute of Law Enforcement Management. I am a past president of the Maine Sheriffs’ Association and a member of the National Sheriffs’ Association.
Why should voters choose you?
I have had the honor of serving the citizens of Sagadahoc County as their Sheriff for the past fifteen years. Having earned the respect and trust of the people, I do not take for granted. I believe in making a difference. I believe that law enforcement has a role in making our communities safer and more vibrant, and we do that by working closely with the people. I believe law enforcement can have a greater role in building community than just policing the community. I have worked and served with many community organizations to build a better, safer and stronger community and I want to continue to do that work. Every day we have deputies that are being role models to children, helping families resolve conflicts peacefully and looking out and caring for our elderly. We need to continue and expand this work.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the office you are running for, and how do you plan on addressing it?
There are a number of challenges. Staffing is a challenge, as like many police departments we have positions that are unfilled. That puts a strain on the current staff and inhibits what we can do. We want to build a culture where young people interested in a law enforcement career will look at us. We are currently upgrading our recruitment process and promoting our region as a great place to live and work.
Corrections is a huge challenge. While we have a regional jail that we share with our neighboring Lincoln County, we face the same problems that many county jails face today, including staffing and budgetary issues. Hence, this is why I have been very involved in establishing a regional collaborative between the four coastal counties that make up the 6th Prosecutorial District. The two main goals of this collaborative are to find cost effective efficiencies and maximize resources for those entrusted into our care. This includes expanded medication assisted treatment for those with a substance use disorder and expanded mental health services within the jail, including a proactive reentry program.
Another challenge is dealing with an ever-increasing number of calls involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or in need of mental health care. My goal is to bring on a full-time Mental Health/Law Enforcement Liaison to work with all the law enforcement agencies in Sagadahoc County, funded by the County. This position would also be part of a multi-disciplinary team that would work with stakeholders and navigators, who are better prepared to offer services.
Finally, an ongoing challenge for the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office is the facility we work out of. While the County Courthouse is a beautiful building, we have outgrown it, and it fails to provide functional and suitable office space for our deputies and our communications center. While this is a major issue, there are ways that a new public safety center could be built that is both accommodating and affordable. It can be done.
Anything else you think voters should know?
I am committed to making our communities the safest and most vibrant places to live, work and recreate.
Aaron T. Skolfield, of Bowdoinham, is currently a sergeant in the Sagadahoc Sheriff’s Office, running against his boss. Skolfied has been criticized by the independent commission evaluating the response to the Lewiston shooting for not using Maine’s yellow flag law to take Robert Card into protective custody, but has said his hands were tied.
Skolfield did not respond to The Monitor’s survey.
Senate races
The Maine Senate is the upper chamber of the Maine Legislature and has 35 elected members. Senate terms are two years, and senators are limited to four consecutive terms. Counties can consist of multiple districts, which may cross county lines.
Running for the seat are Denise Tepler (D), Jeffrey Pierce (R) and Suzanne Andresen (U).
To learn more about this legislative district, visit our statehouse directory. On election night, the page will display real-time race results.
House races
The Maine House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Maine Legislature, has 151 elected members. Representatives are elected for a two-year term, and are limited to four consecutive terms. Counties consist of multiple districts, which may cross county lines.
Running for the seat are Allison Hepler (D) and Vincent Brown (R).
To learn more about this legislative district, visit our statehouse directory. On election night, the page will display real-time race results.
Running for the seat are David Sinclair (D) and Harold Eames III (R).
To learn more about this legislative district, visit our statehouse directory. On election night, the page will display real-time race results.
Running for the seat are Sally Jeane Cluchey (D) and David Guilmette (R).
To learn more about this legislative district, visit our statehouse directory. On election night, the page will display real-time race results.
Running for the seat are Kilton Webb (D) and Guy Lebida (R).
To learn more about this legislative district, visit our statehouse directory. On election night, the page will display real-time race results.
Federal races
This November, Maine voters will see three federal races on the ballot: the presidential race, a U.S. Senate race, and a U.S. House of Representatives race.
U.S. President & Vice President
Foremost for many this election is the presidential race. Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out in July, is running alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. She is facing former president Donald Trump, who chose Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate.
In an arrangement unique to Maine and Nebraska, Maine awards two electoral votes based on the statewide total and one for each congressional district. In 2020, Joe Biden won three of Maine’s four electoral votes, carrying Maine overall with 9 percentage points and the 1st congressional district by 23 percentage points. The 2nd congressional district went for Donald Trump by 7 percentage points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won three of the four electoral votes, carrying the state by 3 percentage points, and Trump was awarded one for the 2nd congressional district.
Candidates:
Kamala Harris & Tim Walz (D)
Donald Trump & J.D. Vance (R)
Chase Oliver & Mike ter Maat (L)
Jill Stein & Rudolph Ware (G)
Cornel West & Melina Abdullah (Justice for All Party)
Declared write-in candidates:
Shiva Ayyadurai & Crystal Ellis (I)
Claudia De la Cruz & Karina Garcia (Party for Socialism & Liberation)
Robert Dyer & Daniel Whitten (Defenders of America Party)
Peter Sonski & Lauren Onak (American Solidarity Party)
U.S. Senate
Senator Angus King, the incumbent, has held this seat as an Independent since January 2013, and served as Maine’s governor from 1995 to 2003. (He has voted overwhelmingly in line with Democrats over the years.) Jason Cherry, a former criminal defense attorney and FBI special agent, is also running for the seat as an Independent. Long-time government employee David Costello is running as a Democrat. Former Maine GOP chair Demi Kouzounas is running as a Republican. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican who has held her seat since 1997, is not on the ballot this year; she is up for re-election in 2026.
Candidates:
Angus King (I)
Demi Kouzounas (R)
Jason Cherry (I)
David Costello (D)
U.S. House of Representatives — 1st District
Both of Maine’s congressional districts are on the ballot this November. Voters in Sagadahoc County are in the 1st Congressional District. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, is the incumbent and has held the seat since January 2009. Ronald Russell, a Republican, is an Army veteran and business owner. Ethan Alcorn, an Independent, has had various jobs and previously ran for governor.
Candidates:
Chellie Pingree (D)
Ronald Russell (R)
Ethan Alcorn (I)
State Referendum Questions
There are five statewide referendum questions that will appear on the ballot this November:
An Act to Limit Contributions to Political Action Committees That Make Independent Expenditures: Do you want to set a $5,000 limit for giving to political action committees that spend money independently to support or defeat candidates for office?
This question, which stems from a citizen initiative, asks whether voters want to impose a cap on contributions to super PACs, political action committees that raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to advocate for or against political candidates. Supporters of the measure believe it would curb the amount of dark money influencing elections, and expect it to be challenged in court.
An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Research and Development and Commercialization: Do you favor a bond issue of $25,000,000 to provide funds, to be awarded through a competitive process and to leverage matching private and federal funds on at least a one-to-one basis, for research and development and commercialization for Maine-based public and private institutions in support of technological innovation in the targeted sectors of life sciences and biomedical technology, environmental and renewable energy technology, information technology, advanced technologies for forestry and agriculture, aquaculture and marine technology, composites and advanced materials and precision manufacturing?
This question, a bond issue that stems from a bill passed earlier this year, asks whether voters want to designate funds to the Maine Technology Institute to bolster scientific research and technological innovation among public and private organizations.
An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Restore Historic Community Buildings: Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue to restore historic buildings owned by governmental and nonprofit organizations, with funds being issued contingent on a 25% local match requirement from either private or nonprofit sources?
This question, a bond issue that stems from a bill passed earlier this year, asks whether voters want to designate funds to the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, which will offer grants to nonprofits and government agencies looking to restore historic buildings in their communities.
An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Promote the Design, Development and Maintenance of Trails for Outdoor Recreation and Active Transportation: Do you favor a $30,000,000 bond issue to invest in the design, development and maintenance for nonmotorized, motorized and multi-use trails statewide, to be matched by at least $3,000,000 in private and public contributions?
This question, a bond issue that stems from a bill passed earlier this year, asks whether voters want to designate funds to create the Maine Trails Program, which would develop and maintain trails across the state designated for activities such as hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and horseback riding; for ATVs and snowmobiles; and for both kinds of use.
An Act to Restore the Former State of Maine Flag: Do you favor making the former state flag, replaced as the official flag of the State in 1909 and commonly known as the Pine Tree Flag, the official flag of the State?
This question, which stems from a bill passed last year, asks whether voters want to replace the current flag — blue with a coat of arms featuring a farmer and a fisherman — with the former pine tree and blue star design that was in use before 1909. The Secretary of State held a contest for the model flag design and selected a winner in August.
