Republican Joseph Galletta appears poised to take the House District 98 seat after edging Democrat Orion Breen in a tight contest Tuesday, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election.
Galletta, the owner of Ripley & Fletcher Ford in South Paris, captured 52% of the vote in the newly redrawn district, which includes Durham and Pownal as well as parts of Topsham, Bowdoin and Lisbon.
Durham and Pownal voters previously comprised the bulk of the former House District 46, currently represented by Democrat Braden Sharpe. That district was regularly one of the most tightly contested in the state, with Democrats and Republicans trading control throughout the past decade.
During the redirecting process, lawmakers shaved off Democratic-leaning North Yarmouth from District 46 and added right-leaning Lisbon and Bowdoin, setting the stage for Galletta’s win on a night when many Republicans around the state fell short of expectations.
Though Pownal voters preferred Breen, who works in public affairs, by a two-to-one margin, Galletta found strong support in Durham, Bowdoin and Lisbon to best his competitor by just over 200 votes.
Breen said he does not plan to pursue a recount.
Galletta, a pro-abortion rights Republican, campaigned on a promise to heal a fractious political atmosphere and to reduce taxes that he said are driving up the price of cars, gas and other goods in Maine.
“I look at New Hampshire thriving right next door,” he said. “How do they thrive, and Maine constantly struggles? Look at the strains that people in the state are put with — it’s like everybody’s working for the government.”
While Galletta looks forward to learning the ropes in Augusta, he acknowledged that Democratic wins in both State House chambers and the governor’s seat might make it difficult to carry out his policy objectives.
“I was really hoping that we would be able to put this government on a diet,” he said. “We’ll see with the results what we can actually get accomplished. We’re going to try as hard as we can.”
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