By David Farmer,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – At 1 a.m. Wednesday, it looked like Harry Faulkner had won a narrow victory in the three-way Republican primary in House District 91.

By midday, the numbers told a different story as results from different parts of the sprawling district came in. Former energy executive Nancy Bessey, who lives in Rangeley, closed the gap and pulled ahead, with Mark Egeberg remaining in third place.

With all 15 precincts reporting, Bessey had 350 votes, to 306 for Faulkner and 218 for Egeberg.

Bessey, 52, retired from Exelon Corp., one of the country’s largest utility companies, in 1999, when she moved to Rangeley full time. Her career has included owning a NASCAR Winston Cup racing team and being the sponsor of an Indy Racing League championship team and winner of the Indy 500, and coaching basketball at Rangeley Middle School.

She will face Democrat Timothy Carter, who was also a candidate in 2004, for the open seat vacated by state Rep. Arlan Jodrey, R-Bethel.

House District 91 includes: Bethel, Eustis, Gilead, Hanover, Kingfield, Newry, Rangeley, Stoneham, Upton, Woodstock and Plantations of Dallas, Lincoln and Magalloway, plus unorganized territories including East Central Franklin (part, including part of Salem Township), North Franklin, North Oxford, South Oxford (including Albany and Mason Townships) and Milton Township

In a second legislative nail-biter that carried over to Wednesday, Gardiner Mayor Brian Rines held onto a slim lead over Brennan administration commissioner and former state lawmaker Harvey DeVane. With all 19 precincts reporting, Rines had 982 votes to 901 for DeVane.

“I am pleased that the votes have been counted and that the Democrats in this district have apparently chosen me to be their senatorial candidate” Rines said in an e-mail early Wednesday morning before all totals were in. “A five-month campaign is now in the offing, and I expect to be scooting through the district town by town on a day-by-day basis until November, visiting every potential voter in their homes, listening to their hopes and concerns so I can serve them as an effective senator should I prevail in November.”

The race had become one of the marquee legislative primaries in the state, and an important part of Democratic attempts to maintain control of the Senate, where they hold a 19-16 advantage over Republicans.

The seat in the 21st District was left open by the retirement of state Sen. Scott Cowger, D-Hallowell. Republicans have selected state Rep. Earle McCormick, R-West Gardiner, as their nominee. McCormick was unopposed in the GOP primary.

Rines also thanked the volunteers who work on his campaign and offered kind words for his opponent and his supporters.

“I feel, too, for my opponent. He ran a very hard race,” Rines wrote. “We’ve been neighbors for a long time, and I regret my victory is at his expense, and every one of his supporters who are disappointed at his loss have my empathy, too, given the effort they expended for him in this race.”

Rines, 64, is a forensic psychologist and has been Gardiner’s mayor since 1993. The 21st District includes Chelsea, Farmingdale, Gardiner, Hallowell, Litchfield, Manchester, Monmouth, Pittston, Randolph, West Gardiner and Winthrop.

By the end of Tuesday night, the results in two other contested primaries were clear.

Ed Desgrosseilliers, a Democratic Party activist and chairman of United Citizens of Auburn, had defeated former state Rep. Donald J. Bernard, 861-401, in state Senate District 15. Desgrosseilliers, 64, will face Republican incumbent Lois Snowe-Mellow, R-Poland, in the district that includes Auburn, Durham, New Gloucester and Poland.

And in state House District 80, retired Air Force colonel and chemistry teacher George Thomson defeated Wales Selectman Randall Greenwood, 407-263. Thomson, 61, will face incumbent state Rep. Nancy Smith, D-Monmouth, in November. House District 80 includes Wales, Litchfield and Monmouth.

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