The race for Janet Mills’ vacated House seat is on.

Lance Harvell, a Republican from Farmington, and Dennis Haszko, a Democrat from Farmington, have been nominated for House District 89, which includes the towns of Farmington and Industry.

The special election will be held on Feb. 3.

Mills, who had held the seat for six years, has been elected as Maine’s new attorney general and will be sworn in to office on Tuesday.

Harvell, 45, works at Verso Paper Co. in Jay and is married with two children. He has made three failed runs for the Legislature, in 2002, 2004 and 2006. He said his top legislative priority is dealing with the more than $800 million state budget shortfall.

“I don’t favor an across-the-board cut,” he said. “The fact is, that within Augusta, everyone probably shouldn’t be getting a slap equally.”

Harvell said he would try to mitigate cuts made to education and infrastructure.

“You’re not going to get out of an economic problem with less educated people and an infrastructure that’s in a disastrous situation,” he said.

He also said he would be willing to work across party lines to get things done.

“You have to work with who is there and not be an obstructionist,” Harvell said. “You have to do the best job you can with what you’ve got.”

Haszko, a 41-year-old patent agent originally from New Jersey, said he would also like to protect education spending.

“We do need to spend on the appropriate things,” he said.

He outlined promoting small business growth and affordable health care as part of his priorities.

“Small businesses are the life blood of Maine basically and I’d like to do everything I can to help them,” Haszko said. “That grows the tax base and with that, you can do good things.”

Haszko bought a home in Farmington in 1997 but spent some time working in Canada before settling back into the area in 2006.

Haszko, who is also married with two children, said when his family recently moved back to Maine he looked into Dirigo for health coverage, but the paperwork was daunting and the savings insignificant.

“I’m a very detail-oriented person who likes to solve problems,” he said. “Dirigo has problems but I think those things can be solved.”

When asked where he would make budget cuts, Haszko said he would take a “big picture” approach.

“In the few days that I’ve been asked about these issues, it’s not enough time to come up with solutions,” he said. “But working within the Legislature, I can take the time and come up with some solutions.”

Harvell said he was realistic in his approach to legislating.

“You’re not going to go down there tomorrow as a newbie and totally redesign Augusta, it’s not going to happen,” he said. “I think I have my finger on the pulse of the electorate pretty well and I come from a working family. I know how to set priorities and make hard decisions.”

Haszko said the election was about more than just party affiliation.

“I think voters will recognize that it’s not a Democratic or Republican issue, it’s more of sending the right person to Augusta,” he said.