Some of the newly redrawn state House district lines for the 2022 election. Maine Secretary of State

Though next Tuesday’s primary will be a sleepy one for Democratic voters in Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties, Republicans will have some decisions to make.

In addition to a GOP congressional primary that will pick the party’s standard bearer in the hotly contest 2nd District, where Bruce Poliquin of Orrington and Liz Caruso of Caratunk are facing off, there are five Republican primaries to pick state House candidates.

In the congressional primary, whoever comes out on top will take on two-term U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Lewiston Democrat, and independent Tiffany Bond of Portland in a three-way general election.

In the most unusual race, in House District 92, two-term incumbent state Rep. Thomas Martin Jr. faces a challenge from Stephen Wood, who held the seat until 2018 when term limits forced him to give it up.

Martin is a general contractor and Wood a retired U.S. Navy veteran. Both live in Greene. The district includes Greene and Sabattus.

There is no Democratic contender in the heavily-GOP district so the winner of the primary is virtually certain to win the general election in November.

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Other primaries in the region include one in District 79, which covers Paris, West Paris, Woodstock and Sumner, that pits three contenders against each other to claim the GOP line in the Nov. 8 general election.

The race includes two men from Paris, John Andrews and Ryan Ricci, and a contender from West Paris, Dannie Abbott. The winner will face Democrat Don Berry of Sumner in November.

There are a lot of tiny towns in the new state House District 73. Maine Secretary of State

In District 73, which includes several dozen small towns in western Maine that stretch from Moose River to Gilead, Republicans Nancy Bessey of Dallas Plantation and Michael Soboleski of Phillips are facing off.

The winner will take on Vincent Michael House of Sandy River Plantation in the general election.

In District 77, Republicans Jody Brown of Canton and Tammy Schmersal-Burgess of Mexico are competing in a district that includes Peru, Dixfield, Hartford, Canton, Mexico and part of Livermore.

Democrat Bonita Bishop of Hartford will take on the primary’s winner in the fall.

In District 98, Guy Lebida of Bowdoin and Joseph Galletta of Durham are seeking victory Tuesday in a district that includes Durham, Pownal and parts of Bowdoin, Lisbon and Topsham.

The winner will take on Democrat Orion Evenstar Breen of Pownal in the Nov. 8 election.


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