Susan Abercrombie, a perennial candidate for Republicans in Maine’s most progressive Democratic stronghold, died last weekend. She was 79.

Susan Abercrombie, of Portland, submitted this photograph of herself as a part of a 2018 election preview. Abercrombie, who died Friday, was a perennial candidate for the Legislature. She knew she couldn’t beat a Democrat in Portland but she wanted to be sure Republicans had a candidate to vote for anyway.

The Portland resident had qualified for the ballot to challenge Democratic House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross for a state Senate seat in Portland in November.

Abercrombie died unexpectedly Friday while helping a friend recover from surgery in South Carolina, according to an announcement from the Portland Republican City Committee.

Republicans now have until Sept. 3 to name a replacement candidate or leave Talbot Ross unopposed.

Democrats in Portland often run unopposed for state offices because city voters overwhelmingly back the party’s candidates. Abercrombie was a reluctant warrior who stepped forward to make sure a Republican was on the ballot, too, even though she knew she would lose, and by a lot.

She agreed to be on the state Senate ballot again this fall despite telling the Forecaster two years ago that 2020 was her third and final race.

“At 75, I am getting old for this, but I am primarily running because I think it’s important that there be choice,” she said at the time. “Portland is a notoriously liberal piece of Maine. I think it is important to at least have a conservative choice available. In my opinion, we use government to do way too much and take way too much from the people.”

Abercrombie’s name has appeared on the Portland ballot for state Senate and the House of Representatives since 2016. But she never really campaigned, knowing that Portland overwhelmingly votes for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot. Portland only has about 5,000 enrolled Republicans, compared to about 31,500 Democrats and 11,624 independents.

Ryan McMann, the chair of the Portland Republican Committee, described Abercrombie as “one of the most selfless and honorable members” of the city committee. Abercrombie was recently elected to the state committee, he said.

“Sue Abercrombie embodied selfless service to conservative values and she will be greatly missed by those of us in the City, County and State Republican Committees,” McMann said in an email. “In a city that is overwhelmingly Democrat, Sue would time and time again sacrifice her time, money and name to champion conservative values, despite the odds against her winning an office or race.”

Abercrombie, a retired information technology professional who had volunteered for political campaigns, first appeared on a ballot in 2016, when she challenged Democrat Benjamin Collings for a House seat. That year, three of Portland’s eight House races didn’t have a Republican candidate.

Despite losing by a nearly 3-1 margin in 2016, Abercrombie sought a rematch with Collings, who won by a larger margin in 2018. That year, Abercrombie was the only Portland Republican to agree to be interviewed by the Press Herald as part of an election preview package. That year, no Republican sought either of the city’s two Senate seats and three House seats went unchallenged.

“I’m running for office because somebody needs to,” Abercrombie said at the time. “I would prefer we had a more energetic young Republican to run in my district, but we don’t, so we’ve got me.”

Her platform included opposing an effort in Portland to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections and tightening the rules for citizen referendums. She also opposed gun control legislation, saying she owned a 9mm handgun for target practice.

In 2020, she was the only Republican running for a House or Senate seat in Portland. Abercrombie placed second in a three-way race that was again won by Collings.

In 2022, she challenged Democratic incumbent Ben Chipman for a state Senate seat. Chipman received 87% of the vote.

Emily Cook, a spokesperson for the secretary of state, said Republicans have until noon on Sept. 3 to name a replacement candidate, if they choose to do so.