A special election has been scheduled for June 9 to fill the seat previously held by Rep. Kathy Javner (R-Chester) who passed away earlier this year after battling cancer.
Rep. Javner represented House District 29, which is located in Penobscot County and is comprised of Chester, East Millinocket, Medway, Millinocket, Mount Chase, Patten, Woodville, and unorganized townships.
The special election for House District 29 will coincide with the 2026 primary election.
Javner was serving her fourth term in the legislature and was a member of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee when she passed away.
[RELATED: Republican State Rep from Chester Kathy Javner Tragically Dies After Battle with Cancer]
Political parties will now be tasked with selecting candidates to run for the seat with nominations due to the Secretary of State’s Office by 5 p.m. on March 6.
Non-party candidates must obtain between 50 and 80 signatures from voters registered in House District 29 and submit the completed petitions to the Secretary of State by this same deadline. Signatures must be certified, however, by the municipal clerks prior to submission.
Write-in candidates must declare themselves by 5 p.m. on March 13.
Non-party petition forms and write-in candidate declaration forms may be obtained by contacting the Elections Division of the Secretary of State at (207) 624-7650.
Whichever candidate wins on June 9 will complete the remainder of Javner’s two-year term in office.
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Another special election is currently underway in House District 94 to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D) after she resigned from the House in favor of taking on a new role as chief-of-staff to Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D).
Absentee voting in that election began on January 26, and election day is scheduled for February 24.
[RELATED: Absentee Voting Begins Today for House District 94 Special Election Scheduled for February 24]
In-person voter registration is available through the close of polls on February 24, and absentee ballots may be returned until the end of business on February 19.
