Two candidates have stepped forward to run in legislative races in Saco and other parts of York County.

Both are filling GOP slots left vacant when those who had originally put in a bid to run in the November election withdrew.

House District 21, which includes Limerick, Newfield, Alfred and part of Parsonsfield, where independent Jim Campbell is seeking re-election, has no Democrat in the running. Limerick resident Frank Boucher, who is an owner of Gile Family Farm in Alfred, was recently chosen as the Republican candidate, replacing Barbara Van Pelt, who withdrew.

Carol Patterson, the chairwoman of Saco Republican Committee, has stepped up to run for House District 15, replacing Frederick Fortier, who withdrew. Patterson, who said in an email she has been involved in politics since the late 1960s, was a school secretary for 18 years before entering the business world. She said she and her husband raised three children on their family farm in Saco. She has been unhappy with politics at every level of government, she said, and so decided to make a run. She will challenge Democrat incumbent Justin Chenette in November.

In House District 14, Jeff Christenbury withdrew his candidacy and it is unclear if there is a Republican challenging Democratic incumbent long time legislator Barry Hobbins in the November race.

In southern York County, John J. Carson of Kittery is the new candidate for Senate District 35; Windol Weaver withdrew on July 10. He will challenge incumbent Democrat Dawn Hill. Senate District 35 includes Ogunquit, South Berwick, Eliot, Kittery and York.

And in York, Democrat Lydia Blume was nominated on July 14 to replace the late first-term legislator Paul McGowan as the House candidate in House District 3. District 3 includes Ogunquit and parts of Wells, Kittery and York. Blume will face Republican Arthur Kyricos of York in November.

McGowan, 67, had withdrawn July 14, citing health issues. The Portsmouth Herald reported that McGowan said he was having mobility problems and was undergoing blood tests. He died Sunday.

McGowan had served in the House of Representatives since 2012, according to the Associated Press. He founded the Leadership and Learning Center, a leadership development group for people in education, non-profits and other businesses. Democratic House Speaker praised McGowan’s work to create a legislative study panel that examined ways to lower the rate of cancer.

Other replacement candidates ”“ all Republicans ”“ were chosen earlier and include Senate 33 candidate David Woodsome, who will challenge incumbent Democrat John Tuttle in the district that includes Cornish, Limerick, Newfield, Parsonsfield, Sanford, Shapleigh and Waterboro. Also chosen as replacements were Sanford’s House District 19 GOP candidate Matthew Harrington, who will challenge incumbent Democrat William Noon, and John Nostin of Naples, who was chosen as the GOP candidate for the sprawling, rural House District 68, which includes Cornish and Parsonsfield and the Cumberland County towns of Naples, Baldwin and Sebago. Nostin will face Democratic incumbent Christine Powers of Naples.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].