Jean Noon, right, of Springvale, shown chatting with Al Mastraccio, was nominated Monday by Democrats in House District 19 as their candidate for the Nov. 3 special election to fill the vacancy created by the death of her husband Bill Noon. Bob Frechette, also of Springvale, had also sought the Democratic nod. Noon will square off against GOP candidate Matthew Harrington. As well, Sanford City Councilor Victor DiGregorio is gathering signatures to make an independent run for the seat.
Noon, 66, and Bob Frechette II, 53, both of Springvale, were seeking the nod in the caucus held Monday at Nasson Community Center. Noon earned 42 votes while Frechette earned five votes.
She will square off against GOP candidate Matthew Harrington. And there could be a third candidate the race – Sanford city councilor Victor DiGregorio is seeking signatures on nomination papers as an unen-rolled candidate.
“I’d like to continue Bill’s time in the Legislature,” said Noon, an artist and organic sheep farmer. “We shared a deep interest in the community and in community service.”
Noon said she hopes to work in a bipartisan manner in the Legislature and called the economy, education and the environment – the three “E’s” as she put it – the most important issues.
“We need to keep strong voices for Sanford in Augusta so we’ll be a community Augusta remembers,” she told fellow Democrats caucused in the community center gymnasium on a sweltering Monday evening.
Harrington, who is in his late 20s, has been a police officer in Kennebunk for eight years, and previously worked as a firefighter. He was unopposed in his bid in the GOP caucus, which took place Thursday. Harrington ran for the seat in the Nov. 2014 election, losing to Bill Noon by 143 votes. In a 2014 interview he advocated for more technical and vocational education and for cutting taxes and regulations to stimulate job growth, and he has supported additional law enforcement officers to help stem the tide of drugs coming into Maine.
DiGregorio, who is in his late 60s, said he is in the process of gathering signatures to be an unenrolled candidate for House District 19. He said if elected to the Legislature he would serve both in Augusta and retain his city council seat. DiGregorio said sees a need for communication and wants to serve the people.
All three candidates are planning to seek Clean Elections status to finance their campaigns.
Bill Noon was elected to his second term in 2014. He succumbed to a rare form of cancer July 15.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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