LEWISTON — City Councilor Scott Harriman won the Tuesday special election for House District 94, giving Democrats a win that extends their slight majority in Augusta.
Harriman bested his opponent Republican Janet Beaudoin in a 572-503 vote.
Beaudoin led Harriman in votes on election day 348-326. However, Harriman carried absentee votes by a 246-155 margin.
Just two ballots were returned blank for a total of 1,077 ballots cast.
Harriman and Beaudoin were vying for the remainder of former state Rep. Kristin Cloutier’s term, which ends after the regular November 2026 election. Cloutier, a Democrat, resigned from her seat in October to become chief of staff for Maine Senate President Mattie Daughtry.
One other open seat, House District 29 in Penobscot County, was left vacant after Republican Rep. Kathy Javner passed away last month from breast cancer. In June, a special election will be held for that seat.
After the victory, Democrats will hold a 75-72 advantage in the House of Representatives.
With Democratic control of the House hanging by a narrow margin, voters at the polls said they were feeling strongly about topics ranging from immigration enforcement, local leadership and fraud, to national politics and concerns about the political climate in general.
“I just think that things are going off the rails right now,” one voter said while exiting the polls. “It’s important to keep Democratic leadership as much as we can and push things back on track as much as possible.”
The sense of urgency on the other side of the political spectrum was just as palpable.
“Our country is heading in a very dangerous direction and if we don’t stop the fraud that’s going on, I’m afraid it’s going to get out of control,” another voter said. “So, I came to vote for Janet.”
City Clerk Kathy Montejo said that by noon, some 177 people had voted in-person since the polls opened at 7 a.m. A total of 366 absentee ballots were also processed, but many more were expected due to delays brought on by Monday’s storm, she said.
Special elections typically draw fewer voters than general elections. This year, voters at the Lewiston polls indicated local issues were among the concerns driving their votes.
“We need change in the city of Lewiston,” said Diann Latuscha. “Harriman’s not doing what he should be doing. I’m going for Janet Beaudoin because she can make a change. And that’s what we need, is a change.”
The House District 94 race has gained statewide and national attention in recent weeks with U.S. Sen. Susan Collins endorsing Beaudoin in January. On Feb. 14, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin joined Harriman at a canvass launch. Several state-level Democrats and Republicans have given endorsements and spoken out on behalf of each candidate.
“It’s really important, keeping ICE out of our town, keeping neighbors safe, making sure people are housed and fed, making sure our schools are funded appropriately,” Ellen Hodgkin said, listing several key areas of focus for Democrats. “Democrats have such a narrow lead that this seat is super important.”
Maine Democrats are optimistic about maintaining control of the House after fellow Democrats nationally have done well recently in special elections, including a victory in a Texas state Senate special election last month for a district that Trump won by 17 points in 2024.
Meanwhile, Maine Republicans remain hopeful they can regain control of of the Maine House in November for the first time since 2012. That all starts with House District 94 many said.
“We’re infested by liberals who want to take over,” Tom Hamilton said coming out of the polls. “We need to level it out a little bit.”
For some voters, though, motivation for heading to the polls was rooted more in national politics.
“Trump sucks, that’s why I’m voting,” said Mike Emmeret. “I will not vote for a Republican anymore because of this situation …”
“… with all of our rights being infringed upon,” Jessica Emmeret interjected. “The lack of equality and division in our country.”
