A sitting chairperson and a former recreation and parks director have won a three-way race for two four-year terms on the Presque Isle City Council.
Incumbent Jeffery Willette and Eugene Cronin carried the top votes with 1,852 and 1,802, respectively. First-time candidate Jeremiah Harris garnered 1,329 votes.
It’s the third term for Willette, who joined the City Council in 2018 and has served as chair for the past two years. His current term will expire at the end of the year.
It is Cronin’s first council term, though he ran for a seat a decade ago. He will fill the seat vacated by councilor Doug Cyr, who did not run for reelection.
The Bangor Daily News and The County reached out to Willette, Harris and Cronin for candidate profiles prior to Election Day. Willette, who operates Willette’s Automotive in Presque Isle, and Harris, who serves as postmaster in nearby Mars Hill, declined interviews.
Cronin works in recreational vehicle manufacturing and owns a small business. He served as the city’s recreation and parks director from 2020 to 2025.
He told the BDN last month that Presque Isle needs a stronger and more diverse commercial tax base to help relieve residents’ tax burdens. He pointed to the loss of the city’s economic development and industrial council directors.
“That leaves us in a different economic development climate, and I believe the city needs to give this area renewed attention,” Cronin said.
Of Presque Isle’s 5,488 registered voters, 3,354 — or 61% — cast ballots Tuesday. Of those, 1191 voted by absentee ballot and 2,163 in person, according to City Clerk Kim Finnemore.
The Presque Isle City Council typically swears in members and selects a chairperson during its first meeting of the new year.
For more election coverage, watch The County and Bangor Daily News.
