Rep. Al Goodwin has entered a three-way bid for Washington County commissioner.

AUGUSTA (AP) – A last-minute decision by a Washington County lawmaker to abandon his state Senate campaign has left majority Democrats scrambling to find a write-in candidate to take his place.

Rep. Al Goodwin, D-Pembroke, abandoned his bid for Senate District 29 Monday to enter a three-way primary for Washington County commissioner. The move has angered some Democrats and confounded others.

“It’s a big year for Republicans,” said Andre E. Cushing III, state coordinator for the House Republican Leadership Team. “It’s the first time in more than 30 years that we’ve had Republican candidates for all 186 legislative seats.”

The Senate has been a battlefield for both parties over the last decade. Currently the Democratic majority there is determined by a single vote and the Senate is divided 18-17 between the two major parties.

Goodwin, who is finishing his fourth and final House term, told Senate Democratic leaders and members of the Washington County Democratic legislative delegation that he would run for the Senate in November.

He never returned his nomination papers for the position.

Legislative candidates had until 5 p.m. Monday to file with the Secretary of State’s Office. Goodwin showed up with his a petition for the office of county commissioner, not state senator.

Goodwin said his last-minute decision was made from his determination of what was in the best interests of Washington County and he entered the three-way Democratic primary for the District 2 county commissioner post.

Goodwin’s decision was troublesome to state Rep. Edward Dugay, a three-term Democratic lawmaker from Cherryfield, who had considered running for the Senate until Goodwin expressed interest in the seat.

“Washington County is in desperate straits,” Goodwin said. “I feel that I’ve made the right decision.”