TOPSHAM – Eloise Vitelli of Arrowsic was elected Monday night to represent the Democratic Party in the August 27 election for Senate for District 19.  District 19 includes all of Sagadahoc County and the town of Dresden in Lincoln County.  Vitelli is expected to run against Paula Benoit of Phippsburg, the only declared Republican candidate, whose caucus is this evening in Bath, and Daniel Stromgren of Topsham, who was selected to be the Green Independent candidate last week.

Eighty-nine Democratic delegates, chosen by town and city committees, turned out at Mt. Ararat High School to vote in the county-wide caucus.

The three declared candidates, Will Neilson of Arrowsic, David Sinclair of Bath, and Eloise Vitelli of Arrowsic, were nominated and spoke for five minutes each before the vote was taken.

Vitelli was nominated by Rep. Seth Berry of Bowdoinham, who had endorsed her candidacy early in her campaign.

In her nominating speech, she said that for 30 years, she has supported policies that promote good jobs, permit people to continue their educations, and start small businesses.  “It is the people of Maine that are our most precious resource,” she said.  “And it is the people who deserve our full attention.”  Vitelli said that her focuses would include education, including early childhood education, health care, including an expansion of Medicaid, and small businesses, since the majority of Mainers work for a small business.

Vitelli was elected on the first ballot.  Although the party did not release exact numbers, an election on the first ballot means that Vitelli must have garnered at least 45 votes (half the voting body plus one), though it was likely more.  Bronwen Tudor, Sagadahoc County Democratic Chair, said that Vitelli “achieved a significant majority” on the first ballot.

Vitelli is running as a Clean Election candidate.  After the caucus, she accepted $5 checks, made payable to the Maine Clean Elections Fund, from supporters to reach the 175 small contributions necessary to be eligible for Clean Elections funding.

The Democrats also elected members to several convention committees at the caucus.  New Platform committee members include Paul Johnson of Bath, David Fluharty of Bath, and Dan Kornrumpf of Arrowsic; the new Credential committee member is Linda Hjortland of Georgetown; and the new Permanent Organization committee member is Gretta Wark of Bath.