Republican Candidates photo: L to R: Matt Harrington, Lucas Lanigan, Amy Bell, Ann Fredericks
Compiled by Zendelle Bouchard, Connie Garber and Renée Morin
Sanford voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, June 11 for the School Budget Validation referendum (see that story for more info), as well as for primary elections. This is the election to vote for the state, county and federal candidates from the Democratic, Republican and Green Independent parties to appear on the November 5 general election ballot.
Republican Candidates
State Senate District 33
Matthew “Matt” Harrington was born and raised in Maine. He is currently serving his first term in the Maine State Senate representing the people of Alfred, Lebanon, Sanford and Waterboro. He sits on the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety and the Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology. Prior to his service in the Senate, Harrington represented the people of District 19 for four terms in the Maine House of Representatives, where he served on several committees, including the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. A longtime public safety professional, Harrington is currently a patrol officer for the Kennebunk Police Department. He is a graduate of Southern Maine Community College and earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Southern Maine. He and his family live in Sanford. Harrington is a member of the Sanford Elks Lodge, local Freemasons and Kora Temple Shriners, and is Chairman of his church’s board of trustees.
State House of Representatives
District 141: Lucas Lanigan is currently serving his first term in the State Legislature, where he represents Newfield and Shapleigh as well as parts of Sanford and Springvale. He sits on the Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business and has worked to reduce taxes, advocate for small businesses, and increase support for those affected by substance use disorder. Lanigan has spent his career designing and installing lighting for weddings and other events and is currently Vice President of Lighting Operations for SHE/Luxe. He and his wife Catalina have four sons. Lanigan has served the City of Sanford as a City Councilor, Deputy Mayor, Planning Board member and member of the Marijuana Task Force. He has served as a board member for the Chamber of Commerce and has been a volunteer and coach with several youth sports organizations.
District 142: Amy Bell has lived in Sanford for 20 years. She has an associate’s degree in secretarial science. She previously homeschooled her children until she helped her husband, Pastor Todd Bell, start and operate the Sanford Christian Academy in 2010. She currently serves as the school’s Administrator and as the Calvary Baptist Church Secretary. They have four children and three grandchildren. If elected, she hopes to focus on legislation that will lower inflation and living costs for families and seniors.
District 143: Ann Fredericks is serving her first term in the State Legislature, during which she introduced two bills aimed at reducing taxation. She serves on the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. As a nurse practitioner, she also takes an active role cosponsoring and advocating on health care issues. Fredericks has master’s degrees in nursing and public administration and has also worked in the public sector for the Veterans Administration. She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the Association of Cannabinoid Specialists. In 2016, she and her daughter opened Vetted Cannabis, a medical dispensary, in South Sanford. Fredericks’ community involvement includes the Sanford Chamber of Commerce and the Sanford-Springvale YMCA.
Democratic Candidates photo: L to R: Daniel Lauzon, Patty Kidder, Anne-Marie Mastraccio, Katie Manende Hall
State Senate District 33
Daniel Lauzon is a retired locomotive engineer who ran freight and passenger trains for 42 years. During that time, he was elected to serve as the legislative representative for engineers in New England, advocating for rail safety and funding while prioritizing working families. Through this work, he was instrumental in creating over 500 permanent, good-paying jobs on the railway. Lauzon and his wife Maureen have raised a blended family of nine children and nine grandchildren. Lauzon has also owned and operated four different small businesses and understands the challenges facing small business owners. He has served as Chair of the Lebanon Democratic Committee and Vice Chair of the York County Democratic Committee and has been active in other Democratic party committees as well as railroad employee organizations.
State House of Representatives
District 141: Patricia “Patty” Plummer Kidder grew up in Shapleigh and attended USM, studying Business Administration and Computer Science. She and her husband moved to Springvale 30 years ago to raise their children who both attended Sanford public schools. She has owned and operated a tax preparation business for 40 years. She is an active member of the Sanford Unitarian Universalist Church, where she has served in many administrative and leadership roles. Her involvement with the Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network and the Maine People’s Alliance has given her the opportunity to testify before many committees, sit in on their work sessions, and assist in building state-wide coalitions to promote change. She has served as President of the Sanford/Springvale Democratic Committee and has volunteered with the York County Democratic Committee and MainersTogether.com (making food deliveries during the pandemic).
District 142: Anne-Marie Mastraccio is currently serving her fifth non-consecutive term in the Maine House of Representatives. She has served on a variety of committees including as House Chair of the Government Oversight Committee. At the local level, Mastraccio has been a Town Councilor and School Committee member for multiple terms and served one term as Mayor. She is a board member of Strategies for a Stronger Sanford and was a member of the Core Building Committees for Sanford High School/SRTC and the renovation projects for MCS, SMS and Sanford Pride Elementary. Mastraccio has an associate’s degree from Northeastern University and is a retired dental hygienist. She also managed her husband’s optometric office. They have two children and three grandchildren.
District 143: Kathryn “Katie” Manende Hall studied forestry and wildlife ecology at the University of Maine. She works for Central Maine Power as a Manager of Vegetation Management, where she coordinates a team of arborists who manage vegetation around CMP’s distribution and transmission systems. She is also responsible for directing their overall operational strategy, as well as participating in community engagement activities such as a recent day spent with 50 Girl Scouts, introducing them to careers in STEM. Hall and her husband have two children. She has served as President of the Maine Chapter of the Society of American Foresters and was a recipient of the Mollie Beattie Young Forester Leadership Award. Hall has volunteered with Stay; For Life, a mental health and suicide prevention program, as well as with the Sanford Trails Committee.
York County Candidates
There are three candidates for county-wide seats this year. All are incumbents and all are running unopposed. Democrat Scott Houde is seeking reelection as Judge of Probate for York County, Republican Carol Lovejoy is running for another term as York County Register of Probate, and Republican Donna Ring is seeking reelection as York County Commissioner.
Congressional Candidates
Democrat Chellie Pingree is seeking election to a ninth term representing Maine’s 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is unopposed in the primary.
The only contested race in the entire election is on the Republican primary ballot to choose a candidate to challenge Pingree in November. Andrew Piantidosi of Cape Elizabeth works as a substitute teacher following a career in sales and business; Ronald Russell of Kennebunkport is a retired military veteran and defense industry consultant. There is also a declared write-in candidate on the Green Independent Party’s ballot, Nicholas Vigue of Clinton.
General Election Information
Maine now has ‘semi-open’ primaries, which means unenrolled voters (those who are not enrolled in any party, commonly referred to as independent) can now participate in primaries and are not required to enroll in the party they choose to vote for. They simply will indicate their choice for the party ballot they want to vote for and remain unenrolled. This can also be done for voters requesting an absentee ballot by checking the box for the party you want to receive a ballot for. Here’s what you should know before casting your ballot:
Ward ONE votes at Nasson Community Center Gym.
Ward TWO votes at Sanford Christian Academy Riverside campus (Formerly known as St. Ignatius Parish Hall-Gym.)
Ward THREE votes at Sanford High School (Entrance Door #41.)
To look up which ward and State Representative district you reside in, click here
For more general voting information, click here
Request an absentee ballot here . This online service is not available for the school budget validation referendum, only for the primary election. You may also request an absentee ballot for both elections by calling the City Clerk’s office at 207-324-9125.
Absentee voting in person is available now through June 6. Stop by the City Clerk’s office Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. June 6 is also the last day to request an absentee ballot online or by mail.
Sample ballots for both Democrat, Republican and Green Independent primaries may be viewed on this page
Many mallards gather on Number 2 Pond next to Oscar Emery Drive. Photo: Terry Jellerson
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