ALFRED — With all precincts reporting, Democratic candidate Bryan Chabot of Wells has emerged as the winner of the three-way race for York County Judge of Probate.

“I am obviously excited and honored I was elected to serve the county, and will serve the residents to the best of my ability,” said Chabot Wednesday. 

Chabot will take office for the four-year term Jan. 1.

His win ousts the current judge, Robert M. A. Nadeau, of Biddeford, who ran as an independent, and who has served since the late 1990s, with the exception of a four-year term that began in 2008, when he lost a Democratic primary to Donna Bailey of Saco. Bailey was elected judge that year, but lost a re-election bid to Nadeau in 2012, who ran as an independent.

Chabot earned 41,223 votes, Nadeau garnered 36,213, and Bernard Broder of Old Orchard Beach,  who also ran as an independent, trailed the pack with 25,474 votes in unofficial totals.

The probate court handles family matters ranging from adoptions to guardianships of incapacitated adults, wills and estates, names changes and the like.

Nadeau has just returned to the court after a 30-day suspension without pay imposed by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court for breaches of judicial canons. The court also levied a formal censure and reprimand. Another round of complaints filed in 2015 are pending.

Nadeau declined comment on his election loss, referring a reporter to a Facebook page titled “Re-Elect York County Probate Judge Robert Nadeau,” where he thanked those who had supported him during what he described as “this very nasty election process.” He noted the communities where he had prevailed, and pointed out alterations to his campaign signs. He said the alterations and the presence of a third candidate in the race “who cut into votes probably otherwise ours, skewed the election results.”

Broder thanked York County residents for welcoming him to their homes, and to events and forums and said he appreciated the support he received.

“I congratulate the York County Democrats on expending the requisite effort and funding to elect their candidate as judge of probate, and congratulate attorney Chabot as well,” he said when asked for comment. “I trust that any criticism of my creating a three-way race for the position has transformed to gratitude, as absent my having done so the election results may have been entirely different.”

Probate judges are county judges and the only elected judges in Maine. The positions are considered  part-time.

Chabot said he is looking forward to taking up his new duties.

“My priorities are to repair and build the  relationships with county commissioners and the  probate register and staff, and work with the register to see how we can improve the process,” said Chabot.

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