State House elections: Recount in battle among young Maine Democrats, top Republican wins big

 A row of voting booths at the Woodstock Town Office on Election Day on Tuesday. (Rose Lincoln/Staff Writer) [](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/) _[Read all of our coverage](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/) of Maine's 2026 election or stay up to date with the latest developments through the [Maine Political Report](https://www.pressherald.com/mprnewsletter/) in your inbox or [text messages](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/11/maine-political-news-sent-right-to-your-phone-sign-up-for-text-alerts-from-our-editor/) from politics editor Kirby Wilson._ Races for the Maine Legislature drew far less attention in [Tuesday’s primary election](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/10/what-to-watch-for-as-maine-races-head-to-ranked-choice-runoffs/) than the contests for governor and Congress, but the results are setting up a November general election that will decide which party controls the State House. Democrats have led both chambers since 2018, when Gov. Janet Mills also won election to the Blaine House. With Mills termed out of office and her party holding a narrow majority in the Maine House of Representatives, there is a window of opportunity for Republicans this fall to try to win back at least one chamber while seeing how things play out in the gubernatorial race. Related [Catch up on Maine statewide and local election results](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/09/catch-up-on-maine-statewide-and-local-election-results/#blocked-container-state-house) The Democratic advantage in the House [is currently 75-72](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/MemberProfiles/List?legislature=132), with three Democratic-leaning members who are not enrolled in either party, two non-voting tribal representatives and one vacancy after Rep. Kathy Javner, R-Chester, [died](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/12/maine-state-lawmaker-kathy-javner-dies-republican-caucus-announces/) of cancer in January. The Senate is more firmly in Democratic hands, with a [20-14 advantage](https://legislature.maine.gov/senate/senators/9536) and one additional seat open by way of Sen. Rick Bennett, I-Oxford, [running](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/03/maine-governors-race-will-be-a-three-way-contest-in-november/) for governor. Most of the general election races are not expected to feature much drama, given they are in either safely red or blue districts. A few others could be more competitive. Here are highlights from a few of Tuesday’s State House races that included 17 Republican primaries and 11 Democratic elections. Recount in race between 2 young lawmakers One of the more intriguing primary battles was between two young Democrats hoping to jump from the House to the Senate to succeed Sen. Stacy Brenner, D-Scarborough, in a district covering Gorham and Scarborough. Advertisement Rep. Sophie Warren, a 30-year-old Scarborough resident studying at the University of Maine School of Law, looks like the likely nominee after narrowly beating Rep. Ellie Sato, a 28-year-old Gorham resident and former Senate aide. Unofficial results [showed](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/09/catch-up-on-maine-statewide-and-local-election-results/#blocked-container-state-house) Warren receiving 3,824 votes to 3,800 votes for Sato, who has requested a recount because of the close margin. Hometown advantages were on display here. Warren [won](https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1781106144/scarboroughmaineorg/rsxn1rdtmxnhqjxf5tua/ScarboroughUnofficialResults-Democratic.pdf) big in Scarborough, while Sato [won](https://www.gorhammaine.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif4456/f/uploads/election_results_06-09-26_autorecovered.pdf) decisively in Gorham. The winner is favored in November over Republican Harry White. Top Maine Republican moves forward with bid to jump to the other chamber So much for whether he is “Down East enough” to hold a Maine Senate seat covering Washington County and part of Hancock County. House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, easily defeated former Rep. Kenneth “Bucket” Davis, R-East Machias, in Tuesday’s primary for the seat held by term-limited Sen. Marianne Moore, R-Calais. Faulkingham, a 47-year-old lobsterman from Hancock County who has been in the House since 2018, had received about 81% of the vote to 19% for Davis as of Thursday, with not all municipalities reporting results yet. He’ll face Rep. Aaron Dana, an independent who represents the Passamaquoddy in the House, in November and will be considered the favorite in the reliably red district. After Faulkingham got in the race in January, Moore and other Washington County politicians [publicly backed Davis](https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/01/08/politics/billy-bob-faulkingham-maine-senate-pushback-joam40zk0w/) and expressed a desire to keep a Washington County resident in the seat, rather than a Hancock County resident like Faulkingham. Advertisement Faulkingham [told the Ellsworth American](https://www.ellsworthamerican.com/news/politics/faulkingham-wins-republican-primary-race-in-senate-district-6/article_91deb32b-f36a-4536-b36d-928d8f9a0971.html) on Wednesday that it “appears that I’ve received more primary votes than anybody in the history of the district, so it’s very humbling.” “I don’t take that lightly. I appreciate the support,” he said. “I love Down East Maine. I’m not going to let them down.” Intraparty duels in Windham, Lewiston, Dover-Foxcroft and other areas A few primary races took place in swing districts or among sitting lawmakers and their challengers. Two Windham Republicans duked it out to seek their party’s nomination in a purplish Senate district covering their hometown along with Raymond, Casco, Frye Island and part of Westbrook. Sen. Tim Nangle, D-Windham, has held the seat since 2022. Nangle will face Kenny Cianchette, owner of the Erik’s Church country music bar and restaurant in Windham, in the general election. Cianchette beat businessman and former social worker Peter Violette in the Republican primary by a roughly 59% to 41% margin. Elsewhere, former Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce leader Shanna Cox beat Rep. Mana Abdi, D-Lewiston, by a roughly 57% to 43% margin in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat held by outgoing Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston. Cox will face independent Eryn Soule in November. Advertisement Rep. Chad Perkins, R-Dover-Foxcroft, looks like he’ll win the Republican nomination in a four-way primary for the seat held by outgoing Sen. Stacey Guerin, R-Glenburn, that covers Piscataquis County and parts of Penobscot County. The GOP primary may go to a ranked-choice runoff, but Perkins still is in the driver’s seat after receiving about 48% of votes to 43% for Joseph Guerin, 18% for Zach Wood and 5% for Gregory Pierce, per unofficial results. Former Maine Republican Party Chair Joel Stetkis, who is from Canaan and also previously served in the House, beat Rep. Danny Costain, R-Plymouth, by a 59% to 41% margin in a GOP primary to determine the likely successor to Sen. Brad Farrin, R-Norridgewock. The Senate district covers towns in Somerset, Kennebec and Penobscot counties. Stetkis has been keeping busy by also serving as the campaign chair for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles, who had a [lead on the GOP field](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/09/bobby-charles-surges-to-the-top-of-republican-governor-primary/) while awaiting ranked-choice runoff results. Among other contested primaries, the race to succeed Javner after she died in January at the age of 52 featured Republican Nancy Theriault beating James Michaud by an 83% to 17% margin. But Theriault, a Millinocket realtor who will face Democrat Nancy McDowell in November, also easily beat McDowell in a separate special election Tuesday to hold the vacant House seat in the meantime. Portland councilors are poised to join the House There’s not much drama to report from various races for Portland seats, with Democrats all but certain to hold them in November. Portland City Councilor April Fournier ran unopposed for [House District 114](https://www.maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/content/assets/h114.pdf) covering a swath of the city north of Back Cove and has no Republican opponent in November to succeed outgoing Rep. Dylan Pugh. Former City Councilor Andrew Zarro is in the same position in [House District 115](https://www.maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/content/assets/h115.pdf), which covers neighborhoods west of Back Cove and has an open seat thanks to Rep. Michael Brennan, a former mayor, being termed out of office. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [election 2026](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/), [maine legislature](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/maine-legislature/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/billy-kobin) [Billy KobinStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/billy-kobin) Billy covers politics for the Press Herald. He joined the newsroom in 2026 after also covering politics for the Bangor Daily News for about two and a half years. Before moving to Maine in 2023, the Wisconsin. [More by Billy Kobin](https://www.pressherald.com/author/billy-kobin)