Former Falmouth Town Councilor and Chairwoman Cathy Breen handily defeated Yarmouth Town Council Chairman Steve Woods in the Senate District 25 Democratic primary Tuesday.
The vote was 2,163 to 1,028, with Breen taking 68 percent, the Associated Press reported.
Additional Images
“The results show that one can win as a Clean Elections candidate with very little money, a lot of volunteers and talking one-on-one with people,” Breen said of her win Tuesday night.
Breen spent $8,059 as a state-supported candidate, while Woods spent $53,073 as a self-financed candidate, according to campaign finance reports.
Woods didn’t answer his phone Tuesday night.
Breen is set to face Republican William Gardiner of Yarmouth in the Nov. 4 general election. With the incumbent, independent Sen. Dick Woodbury of Yarmouth, stepping down instead of seeking re-election, the outcome of the District 25 race could help decide which party holds a majority in the state Senate.
Business experience, party affiliation and campaign financing were central issues in the primary race for a seat representing Chebeague Island, Cumberland, Falmouth, Gray, Long Island, Yarmouth and part of Westbrook.
Breen, 48, who is a community volunteer and board member of Spurwink Services, said the Maine Senate should include people with various backgrounds and experiences, so it represents broad interests and reaches optimum solutions to Maine’s educational, health care and economic challenges.
Woods, 54, who owns and operates several marketing companies and co-owns the Maine Red Claws, said he believes economic development is the best way to address many challenges facing Maine, including health care, education, energy dependence and the environment.
Woods returned to the Democratic Party for this race, after running as an independent candidate for governor in 2010 and for U.S. senator in 2012, and withdrawing from both races.
Kelley Bouchard can be reached at 791-6328 or at:
Twitter: KelleyBouchard
This story was updated at 3:52 p.m. on June 11 to correct the amounts spent by the candidates.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.