ROCKLAND, Maine — Former Knox County Commissioner Anne “Pinny” Beebe-Center will be the Democratic candidate for the special election next month to fill the House seat vacated by former Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Dickerson.
Eighty Democrats from Rockland and Owls Head turned out Saturday afternoon to nominate a candidate for the March 10 election. Beebe-Center of Rockland will be on the ballot along with Republican nominee James Kalloch of Rockland and any independents that file nomination papers by Monday afternoon with the Maine secretary of state.
Beebe-Center received 43 votes on the first ballot at the Saturday caucus held at Rockland City Hall. First-term City Councilor Valli Geiger received 23 votes and Regional School Unit 13 Board Chairman Steve Roberts got 14 votes.
The Rockland nominee said she will seek common ground on issues of importance to residents in the district. Beebe-Center cited her work on the Knox County Homeless Coalition which helped lead to the reopening of the Hospitality House in Rockport. She also mentioned her work to try to bring a federal health clinic to the Midcoast and her work on programs to serve children from the cradle to career.
Beebe-Center was nominated by Carol Bachofner of Rockland who had earlier announced she would seek the nomination but on Saturday announced she had withdrawn and was supporting Beebe Center.
Bachofner said Beebe-Center would work to protect local communities and those across the state from the onerous budget proposed by Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
Shawn Levasseur of Rockland, who is a Libertarian activist but an unenrolled candidate said two weeks ago he would file papers by the Monday afternoon deadline.