Complete turnover possible for Bangor House seats

For awhile Sen. Joe Perry, D-Bangor, wasn’t sure if he’d run again in November.

There are important issues facing Bangor – Hollywood Slots, school funding and mill closures, just to name a few, Perry said. With three of his colleagues leaving, he realized there had to be some continuity in representation of the city. He plans to be on the November ballot.

At least three of the four Bangor representatives will not run again next year. Reps. Jacqueline Norton, D-Bangor, and Patricia Blanchette, D-Bangor, are termed out. Rep. Sean Faircloth, D-Bangor, is giving up his seat in hopes of becoming the next Attorney General.

The fourth representative, Michael Dunn, D-Bangor, doesn’t know if he’ll run again. With the meager pay given to lawmakers, he’s not sure he can afford it.

Promising Democratic candidates have emerged to fill these seats, however. For this reason none of the sitting lawmakers are too concerned with representation of the city. Perry said it is likely that there will be primaries for all four seats.

All four Bangor seats are relatively safe for Democrats, with incumbents winning by more than 600 votes in 2006.

Norton’s seat already has a primary race going. Democrats Adam Goode and Roberto Zavaleta have both filed for their candidacy. Norton said she would serve again if she wasn’t termed out. Instead, she’s just going to “be retired”.

Goode, 24, is a community organizer at the Maine People’s Alliance. He has worked to pass Dirigo Health, against the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, and on bills seeking to eliminate toxic chemicals. He said he has a new passion and energy that he can bring to the Legislature. Health care is a major issue for him.

“After listening to members of this community, I've learned that our state should play a role in making concrete improvements in people's lives,” Goode said in an e-mail. “Through my work having one on one conversations with Bangor residents, I think I am well prepared to represent them in Augusta.”

Steven Butterfield has filed to run for Blanchette’s seat. He is a field representative for the Maine State Employees’ Association.

Sara Stevens is going for Faircloth’s seat and Torvic Vardamis is going for Dunn’s seat.

Perry won by 1,357 votes in 2006. He already has a Republican challenger this year, Tom Sawyer Jr.