Five candidates formally stepped forward this week for a vacant state Senate seat from Portland. But City Councilor Jon Hinck isn’t one of them.

Hinck wanted to succeed Minority Leader Justin Alfond in the Maine Senate and was likely a top contender. He’s a Democrat who has served in the Maine House. He has a website. And he said he had more than the 100 signatures needed to appear on the ballot and the names were verified by the city clerk two weeks ago.

But Hinck did not file them with the secretary of state by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and therefore will not be on the ballot.

“I wish I could say I decided not to do it,” Hinck said Wednesday morning. “I merely failed to get them to the Secretary of State’s Office.”

Alfond, the top Democrat in the Senate, cannot run for re-election because of term limits.

Hinck’s lapse leaves five other candidates vying for the District 27 seat: Democratic Reps. Diane Russell and Ben Chipman, Democrat Charles Radis, Green independent Seth Baker and Republican Mark Lockman. Lockman is the son of Rep. Larry Lockman, a Republican from Amherst who has been criticized for comments about gays, rape and abortion.

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Meanwhile, there will be a four-way race to replace Democratic state Sen. Anne Haskell, who is not seeking re-election to the District 28 seat. Those candidates are Democratic state Rep. Mark Dion, Portland City Councilor and Democrat Jill Duson, Democrat Anne Peoples of Westbrook, and Republican Karen Usher of Westbrook.

Candidates seeking seats in the Maine House have also filed their paperwork.

House District 36 incumbent Democratic Rep. Denise Harlow and Republican Dwight Glidden filed papers for Harlow’s seat, while Republican Donato Apon has filed papers to challenge incumbent Democrat Rep. Richard Farnsworth in House District 37.

In House District 38, incumbent Democratic Rep. Matt Moonen and Republican Thomas Loring have filed papers. In District 39, Republican Peter Doyle and Democrats Michael Sylvester and Andrew Edwards have filed for the ballot.

Five candidates have filed papers to run in House District 40: Democrats Herbert Adams, Anna Kellar and Rachel Talbot Ross, Green independent Russell Hoskins and Republican Carol Taylor.

In House District 41, incumbent Democratic Rep. Eric Jorgensen is being challenged by Republican James Azzola, while Democrat Benjamin Collings and Republican Susan Abercrombie have filed papers in District 42.

Democrat Heather Sanborn and Republican Jeffrey Langholtz have filed papers for House District 43.

 


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