The Boothbay peninsula’s next representative to the Maine House of Representatives will be substantially younger than his/her predecessor, will have been born in Connecticut, but lived mostly in Maine, will be a first time state legislator, and will be a small business owner, who believes that jobs and the economy are the most important issues for the region.

Independent Bill Coombs of Edgecomb, and Republican Stephanie Hawke of East Boothbay, share all those characteristics, as well as a desire to serve as representative for House District 89, the newly created district that covers Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, Southport, Westport, and parts of South Bristol.

How they differ could mean the difference between winning and losing.

The House seat they seek, the former House District 61, has been held for the last eight years by Democrat Bruce MacDonald, who has reached his term limit. The Democrats were unable to field a candidate to replace MacDonald, although at one point Coombs considered changing his party status. Ultimately,  he did not.

Hawke ran against MacDonald in the 2012 election for House District 61, losing to the favored incumbent but garnering 45 percent of the votes cast.

Redistricting based on the 2010 census appears to have created a new house district that differs only slightly from the previous one.

Democrats and unenrolled camps have lost a little ground, while Green Independents are slightly higher and the percentage of Republicans remains unchanged.

To read our interview with Bill Coombs, click here.

To read our interview with Stephanie Hawke, click here.