AUBURN – Incumbent Elmer F. Berry edged out a challenger in a close race for county commissioner Tuesday.

An unofficial tally showed Berry with 891 votes and Normand Laplante with 783, according to the county commissioners’ office. The two Democrats faced off in the primary election for a seat on the three-member Androscoggin County Commission.

Laplante of Sabattus is a former police officer. In a pre-election interview, he said he wanted to work on regionalization of county services.

Berry, the current chairman of the commission, served in the state Senate during the 1970s, was an Auburn city councilor for eight years and served two terms on the Auburn School Committee.

He, too, named regional services as his top goal and suggested that consolidation of school districts with one superintendent per county could lower property taxes.