BRUNSWICK — Democrat Allison Hepler narrowly defeated two-term Republican incumbent Jeff Pierce in a tight race for House District 53. Unofficial results show Helper ahead by just 103 votes, with 2,567 votes to Pierce’s 2,464.
Hepler, a Woolwich selectwoman, announced her victory early Wednesday morning on her Facebook page.
Hepler narrowly lost her hometown of Woolwich with 860 votes to Pierce’s 884.
District 53 includes Arrowsic, Dresden, Georgetown, Phippsburg, Woolwich and part of Richmond.
Hepler believes that in Maine, state government is local government. She has said she is passionate about health care and expanding renewable energy in Maine and said in an earlier interview that she has a “track record of accomplishing things.”
A professor at the University of Maine at Farmington, she said she has experience working will all different types of people and believes in communication and transparency.
“You get elected because people trust you,” she said.
Pierce was the subject of some controversy in October when Maine Democrats released his criminal records, which span a 25-year period from the early 1980s to the early 2000s. That history includes arrests for drug trafficking and possession, operating under the influence and assault, according to court documents.
“It was 36 years ago,” Pierce said at the time. “I’ve made mistakes, I’m not proud of it. …If anything, it should be a story championing how a person can turn their life around.”
He also argued that his experience with the law helped him take a firmer stance on punishments for drug dealers, having seen firsthand how effective the penalties can be.
Hepler is no stranger to close races, having lost in the 2016 primaries to William Neilson by just 19 votes. She said last month that after some political leadership training, she felt ready to tackle this next challenge.
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