Presque Isle voter turnout was more than expected for the 2022 midterm election

1 year ago

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle voters had a steady turnout at the polls during Nov. 8’s midterm elections held in the Sargent Family Community Center gymnasium.

Roughly 3,310 voters turned out in Presque Isle. That was more than expected and there seemed to be a lot of voters who were new to Presque Isle or had a recent change of address, according to Presque Isle city clerk Kim Finnemore.

Presque Isle City Council Chairman and Democrat Kevin Freeman lost his bid to unseat incumbent Republican Joseph Underwood for Maine House of Representatives District 5. In Presque Isle, Underwood received 57 percent (1,857) of the vote while Freeman garnered 42 percent (1,388).

Presque Isle voters re-elected Doug Cyr and Jeffery Willette to the Presque Isle City Council in the local election. Willette had the highest total votes with 1,961, while Doug Cyr claimed 1,657, and Donald Gardner had 1446.

Candidates Willette and Cyr will have another four-year term on the council as the last day of the budget workshop for 2023 is coming up on Nov. 16.

It was a close race in Presque Isle for House of Representatives District 2 in ranked choice voting between Democrat Jared Golden at 1,525 total votes, with three short of Bruce Poliquin at 1,528 for voters first choice picks.

Presque Isle voters also went for Harold “Trey” Stewart with 2,199 total votes to Danielle Fienberg’s 1,059 with the race still to be decided at a little more than 80 percent of the vote reported.

Maine School Administrative District 1 school board candidates all run unopposed for seven seats set to expire at the end of 2022.