LEWISTON- City Councilors are in support of holding a special election to fill the vacant District 94 State House seat.
Longtime Representative Kristen Cloutier left her seat to become the Chief of Staff for Senate President Mattie Daughtry.
Following a brief discussion, the Council voted to move forward with the process of filling the seat.
Although a vacated State Senate seat is required to be filled by special election, the same is not true for a vacated House seat, which could technically be left empty.
For a vacant House seat to be filled by special election, the elected officers of any city/town within that district must vote to ask the Governor to call for that election. District 94 is entirely within Lewiston, so that responsibility falls on the City Council.
Once the Governor calls for the special election, local political party committees have 15 days to nominate candidates, and independents can collect signatures to also get on the ballot.
Given the required timeframe, a special election will likely take place in February or March. A few candidates have announced they will run for the vacant seat.
City Councilor Scott Harriman, who recused himself from the Council vote, has been endorsed by Cloutier. He is seeking the Democratic nomination.
Also seeking the Democratic nomination is Kiernan Majerus-Collins, a former Lewiston School Committee member and state party official.
School Committee member Janet Beaudoin has announced she will seek the Republican nomination for the vacant seat. Beaudoin lost a race for the seat against Cloutier in 2022.
Registered Democrats and Republicans in District 94 will choose their party’s candidate at their respective caucuses. Since the only way to vote is by going to the caucus (a special meeting held to nominate candidates), the winner will likely be whoever can get more of their supporters there.
Now that the City Council has voted to ask to the Governor to call for a special election, city staff will send word to Augusta. Governor Janet Mills will make an announcement as to when the election will take place.
To see which Lewiston State House district you’re in, click here.