Benoit was the only declared candidate in the race going into the Tuesday evening caucus, which was held at the Smith-Tobey American Legion Hall in Bath.
However, there was a surprise. Guy Lebida of Bowdoin was nominated from the floor before Benoit’s name was placed in nomination.
Benoit was nominated by Pam Cahill.
“Paula has a proven track record,” she said, in part.
“Never say never,” Benoit said in her nomination address. “I didn’t expect to be here again. But I am ready, willing, and able to serve. ”
She said it was important for Republicans to retake District 19 in advance of the 2014 election.
“We can continue the work we did in the first two years after the 2010 election, but we have to start with this important Senate seat.”
When the vote was counted, Benoit had the nomination with 58 votes to Lebida’s 11.
Kyle Rogers, who served as chairman, introduced members of the Republican Senate caucus who had come to lend their support to the new candidate. Among them were state Sen. Roger Katz of Augusta, state Sen. Garrett Mason of Lisbon, and state Sen. Andre Cushing of Hampden.
“We’re very pleased to have all of these members of the delegation here to lend their support,” Rogers said. “We have a lot of work to do, and a short time to do it, but I’m sure we can retake this seat. It’s an important seat.”
Mason told the caucus: “We’re a Republican caucus of 15, and we don’t have a single woman,” he said. “I’m here to ask you to send us Paula Benoit.”
Lebida is a contractor and mobile home park developer who ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in 2012. In his nomination speech, he identified himself as a “patriot” and “conservative” who said he was running for Senate because he felt the Republican Party had moved too far to the left.
“I believe we’ve compromised our principles,” he said. “We’ve become too liberal, too progressive, and we’ve lost our godly principles. There needs to be a difference between Republicans and Democrats.”
Benoit seeks to replace Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall, D-Richmond, who resigned at the end of the legislative session to accept a position with the Small Business Administration.
The election is Aug. 27.
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