Governor LePage Urges Voters to Elect a Senator in District 19 Who Will Work for Mainers
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage released a statement today about the special election to fill the vacant seat in State Senate District 19, which will be held on Tuesday, August 27, 2013.
“I urge voters in Senate District 19 to go to the polls on August 27 and choose a Senator who will work for the best interests of Mainers,” said Governor LePage. “This is an excellent opportunity to elect a Senator who will work to decrease the tax burden on Mainers, reduce the cost of electricity, improve opportunities for job creation and halt the growth of government.”
Governor LePage has issued a proclamation declaring the vacancy in State Senate District 19 and ordering political committees to meet so they can nominate candidates.
The Sagadahoc and Lincoln County Democratic, Green Independent and Republican committees have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 to file a Certificate of Nomination with the Secretary of State to place the name of a candidate on the Special Election ballot.
A caucus of the county committee members in Senate District 19 will be held to nominate a candidate.
Voters in Senate District 19 may now request an absentee ballot from their municipal clerk. Absentee ballots will be available once the candidates are reported to the Secretary of State.
The special election is being held to fill the vacancy by State Senator Seth Goodall, who submitted his letter of resignation to Governor LePage on July 10, 2013. State Senate District 19 is comprised of Arrowsic, Bath, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Dresden, Georgetown, Phippsburg, Richmond, Topsham, West Bath, Woolwich and the unorganized township of Perkins.
Text of the Proclamation:
To the Members of the Democratic, Green Independent and Republican Committees of Lincoln and Sagadahoc Counties residing in Senate District 19.
WHEREAS, by the July 10, 2013 resignation of Seth A. Goodall of Richmond, a member of the State Senate in the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Legislature representing District 19, a vacancy has been created; and
WHEREAS, Article IV, Part Second, Section 5 of the Maine Constitution provides that a vacancy in the State Senate arising from a resignation shall be filled by an immediate election in the unrepresented district, and that the Governor shall issue a proclamation fixing the time of such election; and
WHEREAS, Title 21-A of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Section 381 provides that when there is a vacancy in the office of State Senator, the Governor shall issue a proclamation declaring the vacancy and ordering a special election; and, further, that he shall order the appropriate political committees to meet and shall set the deadline for choosing nominees; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAUL R. LePAGE, Governor of the State of Maine, do hereby order the appropriate members of the Democratic, Green Independent and Republican Committees addressed above to meet to nominate their candidates for State Senator in District 19, to be voted on at the Special Election to be held on Tuesday, August 27, 2013.
The Certificate of Nomination of the candidates for District 19, required pursuant to Title 21-A of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Section 363, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State on or before 5 p.m., on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. The Declaration of Write-in Candidacy of any write-in candidate for District 19 shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State on or before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6, 2013.
The members of the above named political committees are hereby directed to comply fully in the conduct of the meeting and the making of the certificate with all of the provisions of law relating to the proposal of candidates for election as provided in Title 21-A of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated.