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By SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer Wednesday, June 13, 2007

enlarge Staff photo by Joe Phelan

MEET AND GREET: House District 83 Democratic candidate Deane Jones, right, chats with Joe Kozak while campaigning door to door on Wednesday afternoon in Manchester.

enlarge Staff photo by Joe Phelan

CHATTING: House District 83 Republican candidate Penny Morrell, right, chats with William White while campaigning door to door on Wednesday morning in Fayette.

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With all five towns reporting, Jones won 1,469 to 1,180.

Jones will serve residents of Belgrade, Mount Vernon, Manchester, Fayette and Vienna. The special election was necessary because Rep. Abigail Holman, R-Fayette died in a skiing accident April 7. She was 45.

Jones, 68, is retired from J.S. McCarthy Printers in Augusta and has worked as a school bus driver. He's been a selectman in Mount Vernon for 18 years, but did not seek re-election to that post.

Jones, who said he's always nervous on Election Day, said he's been studying up on the bills he will be expected to vote on as a member of the House.

"I'm about as abreast as anyone could be coming in cold," he said.

Morrell, 59, works as an office manager at Maine Right to Life in Auburn. She's a former Belgrade town treasurer and has been active in the Maine Republican Party.

Morrell said that although she was disappointed with the result, she got a lot of support from many people who worked on her campaign.

"It's been a neat adventure for me," she said. "I just wish I could have pulled it out for them."

Both pledged to crack down on spending in Augusta, but differed on social issues.

Jones said he supports abortion rights, and Morrell said she is anti-abortion. Jones said he supports gay civil unions, and Morrell said she opposes them.

Both lost to Holman in elections last year, with Morrell being defeated in a primary and Jones losing the general election.

Neither has experience in state-level office.

Jones will be sworn in to office by Gov. John Baldacci when the election results are certified, which could be as soon as this morning.

Officially, the Legislature is scheduled to adjourn a week from today, although that can sometimes be a moving target.

The Legislature will reconvene in January. All legislative terms are up for reelection in November 2008.

Susan Cover -- 623-1056

scover@centralmaine.com

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