Maine county commissioners skew older as new campaigns test the status quo
Maine county government is headed into another election cycle with commissioners that, in many counties, are decades older than the typical voter. The Associated Press reports that most of Maine’s county commissioners are in their 60s and 70s, and that the average age across counties is 68, with relatively few younger adults running for or joining the posts. The issue has attracted attention as counties continue to handle budgets that often prioritize jail and public-safety obligations.
In Lincoln County, the age gap is personified by William Blodgett, 89, who is set to retire at the end of the year. The AP reports that Walter Voskian, 87, is the only major party candidate seeking Blodgett’s midcoast seat, and that Voskian says his age is not a deciding factor. Voskian said he is in excellent health and argued that his experience would benefit the county, including what he described as decades working for the CIA helping prepare security briefings for multiple presidents.
If Voskian takes over Blodgett’s seat, Maine’s oldest commissioner title would not stay in Lincoln County. The AP reports that the distinction would instead move to Oxford County’s H. Sawin Millett, 88, who is slated to serve until shortly after his 90th birthday. The AP also reports that Millett, now 88, said he expects to be satisfied after four years of additional service and noted that he would be unlikely to run again.
The AP’s reporting ties the aging leadership to broader demographic patterns in Maine and to the structure of county politics itself. Maine has the oldest population of any U.S. state, the AP reports, with a median age “roughly 45,” and county leadership reflecting that trend. The AP says across Maine’s 58 commissioners, the largest cohort consists of 23 officials in their 70s, while 16 are younger than 60 and only four counties have a commissioner under 40.
The AP also describes how limited interest in the job and long tenures reinforce the age trend. It reports that county offices have historically attracted few applicants and that there are no term limits, except in Cumberland County, leaving many commissioners in place for decades. The AP says Blodgett, for example, has held county office since 1995, after previously serving in the state Legislature in the 1970s.
At the low end of the age range, Waldo County’s leadership includes a commissioner appointed to replace a predecessor who died in office. The AP reports that Breanna Pinkham Bebb, 39, was appointed there to replace longtime commissioner Betty Johnson, who died in office at 86. In Kennebec County, the AP reports that Patsy Crockett is 85 and has served on boards of community organizations while also having served in the state Legislature in the 2000s.
Other younger challengers point to the realities of the work, not just the politics. The AP reports that former Androscoggin County Commissioner Noel Madore, 35, is running in Kennebec County and is challenging an incumbent more than twice his age. Madore said he believes the part-time county job—requiring daytime meetings for what he described as relatively limited pay—makes it difficult for people with regular jobs to run for office, and he said that younger candidates may not see peers in the role, making the seat seem less relevant.
The AP also highlights efforts by younger commissioners to engage residents and demonstrate what county government can do. York County Commissioner Justin Chenette, 35, told sixth graders at a civics presentation on May 13 that residents should “get involved” with an impassioned voice, according to the AP. The AP reports that Chenette cited the commission’s decision last year to support an Alfred food pantry that was close to closure, including through a nonprofit foundation the county formed in 2024.
Chenette’s approach, the AP reports, includes using social media and maintaining a separate website for the office—methods that the AP says are relatively uncommon among commissioners. The AP also reports that some of the initiatives pursued early in Chenette’s tenure were shaped by large influxes of money, including federal pandemic relief funds and money from national opioid settlements, and that as those sources have dried up, county ambitions have cooled. It reports that the York County Commission last month voted 3-2 to allocate $20,000 for a community transportation project after debate over fiscal priorities and the scale of an expected boost in jail funding from the state.
Another younger candidate, Marpheen Chann of Cumberland County, argues that counties are overlooked in Maine government despite their responsibilities. The AP reports that Chann calls county government an “ugly stepchild” because it has limited power and low public recognition, and that he is campaigning on a broader agenda that includes housing, homelessness, immigration and transportation. The AP says Chann has floated ideas such as creating a Cumberland County housing authority and pursuing a regional rail system based in Portland, using social media posts that included mock maps and described the plan as a long-term vision.
At the same time, some of the older commissioners and candidates defending the status quo are making their case in similar terms: that experience matters and that turnover can be healthy without imposing an age ceiling. The AP reports that Millett said he prides himself on overseeing county programs to ensure efficiency and effectiveness and also said he believes turnover is healthy, noting that time in office can be either beneficial or not. The AP also reports that Crockett said she does not think age should make a difference if the person is healthy and able to do the job.
In Lincoln County, Voskian said he chose not to “recede” when he retired and said people should get involved in local government regardless of age. The AP reports that Voskian said that local participation can benefit communities, framing the race as an invitation for citizens of all ages to engage with county affairs.