AUGUSTA — Assistant House Minority Leader Alex Willette of Mapleton, who earlier this summer became the spokesman for Gov. Paul LePage’s re-election campaign, resigned from his House seat on Thursday.

Willette, who represents House District 7 in central Aroostook County, said he resigned because his job with the LePage campaign and his fledgling legal career make it impossible to adequately represent his district.

“It’s been an honor to represent the people of Aroostook County and to be elected by my fellow House representatives as assistant minority leader,” Willette told the BDN on Thursday, shortly after delivering his resignation letter to House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick. “We accomplished a lot of great things.”

Willette, who announced in May that he would not seek re-election, said his seat will remain open through the November election. In 2011 when he was elected to House leadership, Willette, now 25, was the youngest-ever member of state-level legislative leadership in the country.

Willette said he recently sold his home in Mapleton and plans to purchase another in the Lewiston area.

House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, said in a written statement that Willette is “a prime example of the many talented young people active among Maine Republicans.”

Vying for Willette’s seat, which after redistricting in 2013 is now District 146, are Republican Dustin White and Democrat Troy Haines.

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