Former state Sen. Chellie Pingree, who earned statewide recognition by leading the fight in the Maine Legislature for affordable drugs and running a respectable race for the U.S. Senate in 2002, easily won a six-way contest in the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District seat Tuesday. She will face another former state senator, Republican Charlie Summers, in November.

Pingree, of North Haven, had a significant lead early on and never let it go. With 80 percent of the precincts reporting, Pingree was ahead with 44 percent of the vote, and political newcomer and moderate Adam Cote, a Portland attorney, was coming in a distant second with 28 percent. The other four candidates in the race split the rest.

Summers, of Scarborough, spent much of the campaign season in Iraq as a communications specialist with the Naval Reserves. He beat his lone rival in the Republican primary, political newcomer Dean Scontras, 60 percent to 40 percent.

The two winners will compete for the seat being vacated by Tom Allen, who Tuesday overwhelmingly won his party’s nod to face incumbent Republican Susan Collins for the U.S. Senate in November. Allen beat his primary opponent, Tom Ledue, by a 85 percent to 15 percent vote.

Pingree, who spent four years as head of Common Cause in Washington, D.C., before coming back home to run for Congress, said her focus will be the major issues facing the country.

“We have huge challenges in front of us – health care, ending the war and investing that money here at home, energy costs and doing something about the economy,” she said, ticking off her priorities after being declared the winner.

While Cote was ostensibly on her heels during the primary campaign, he only got 28 percent of the vote and the other four in the race were far behind. Former Sen. Michael Brennan of Portland got 11 percent; Sen. Ethan Strimling, also of Portland, also got 11 percent; York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence got 5 percent; and physician Stephen Meister of Winthrop got 1 percent.

On the Republican side, Summers attributed his win to experience, saying one of the greatest differences between him and Scontras was his background both in the political arena and private sector.

Scontras was labeled the conservative in the race, getting the backing of the Christian right for his stands against abortion and gay unions, while Summers is viewed as the moderate.

“Politics in Maine is about solutions. It’s about moving the process forward,” Summers said, citing his experience in the state Senate and as the regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Summers thanked his wife, Ruth, for campaigning for him while he was in Iraq.

“If it weren’t for my wife, I wouldn’t be standing here in this position right now,” he said.

Democrat Chellie Pingree beat out five other candidates to win Pingree, Summers to square off in 1st DistrictCharlie Summers.Chellie Pingree.