PORTLAND, Maine — Kennebec County prosecutor Jackie Sartoris defeated incumbent Cumberland County District Legal professional Jonathan Sahrbeck in a Democratic main on Tuesday that ensures she is going to assume the seat within the November election.
Sartoris had 63.9 p.c of votes, in contrast with 36.1 p.c for Sahrbeck, who conceded the race via a spokesperson at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday. No Republican or impartial candidate ran within the race, making certain Sartoris shall be uncontested within the November election.
“If the voters elect me in November, I’m ready for the laborious work forward, and look ahead to securing the frequent sense and pragmatic insurance policies that replicate the values of our [county] and ship the legal justice reforms we promised on this marketing campaign,” she mentioned in a press release.
Sartoris benefited from a wave of spending from Democratic megadonor George Soros, who has been operating a nationwide marketing campaign to elect progressive prosecutors throughout the nation. A gaggle began by Soros’ community spent $440,000 in a bid to oust Sahrbeck, greater than all the cash spent in each Maine district legal professional race from 2012 via 2020.
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The candidates’ greatest variations had been in how they approached the function. Sahrbeck mentioned the highest prosecutors ought to interact with the neighborhood instantly about points that may land individuals in jail, whereas Sartoris mentioned the function must be centered on coverage and how you can prosecute individuals. Each mentioned the state ought to shut its solely youth jail at a Maine Youth Justice discussion board in June.
A lot of the race got here all the way down to celebration loyalty. Sartoris styled herself as a “lifelong Democrat,” an implicit reference to Sahrbeck’s time as a registered Republican and his work underneath former Republican District Legal professional Stephanie Anderson. He gained his first time period by default in 2018 as an impartial after a Republican and Democrat dropped out. He later enrolled with the Democrats, saying he typically aligns with them.
That was fodder for the Soros-backed group, which additionally hit Sahrbeck for his 2018 prosecution of a intercourse trafficking sufferer. That case was resolved with out the individual having a legal document and Sahrbeck famous that it was not clear the girl was a trafficking sufferer early within the case.
The incumbent hit the assaults on him as a “darkish cash” bid to oust him, though Soros’ direct involvement was famous in adverts and mailers. Sartoris decried the detrimental campaigning however mentioned it was a constructive signal that nationwide teams had been listening to the race.
“As she formally strikes in to the function, I’ll help Jackie within the transition to make sure the very best end result for the individuals of Cumberland County,” Sahrbeck mentioned in a press release.
BDN author Michael Shepherd contributed to this report.
