BRUNSWICK

Fred Horch, the 2010 Green Independent Party’s candidate for House District 66, representing Brunswick, formally announced plans this week to assume his party’s nomination.

Local Green Independent Party members will caucus July 8 at Curtis Memorial Library to pick a replacement for David Frans, who withdrew his candidacy after the Green Independent primary on June 12. A Brunswick Green Independent Committee and Merrymeeting Greens release announcing the caucus referred to Frans as a “placeholder candidate.”

In March, Horch first announced his intention to enter this year’s House District 66 race. At the time and during the period when legislative candidates could collect signatures for inclusion on the state ballot, Horch was in Japan with his family, while his wife worked there.

The name of the person chosen at the July 8 caucus will appear on the ballot alongside Democratic and Republican candidates for the House District 66 seat currently held by Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, a Democrat.

In an email to The Times Record, Horch wrote that he is “looking forward to the Green caucus and hope(s) to become an official candidate then.”

“Assuming I win the nomination, I will seek to become a clean elections candidate by collecting qualifying contributions this summer,” Horch wrote.

At present, Cornell du Houx, who would be seeking a third term, and Republican John Bouchard are slated to represent their parties on the November ballot for House District 66.

In the wake of controversy about a protection from abuse order filed by Rep. Erin Herwig, D-Belfast, against Cornell du Houx earlier this year, Maine Democratic Party chairman Ben Grant publicly called for Cornell du Houx’s resignation days after the June 12 primary.

In a press release responding to Grant’s statements, Cornell du Houx wrote that he is currently in Australia on a U.S. State Department trip. He did not respond to multiple inquiries about whether he would remain on the November ballot.

Should Horch gain his party’s nomination and Cornell du Houx carry on with his bid for a third term, it would set up an electoral rematch between the two — and a new Republican candidate.

In 2010, Horch made his first bid for the House District 66 seat as a publicly financed candidate against incumbent Cornell du Houx and Republican Jonathan Crimmins.

In that three-way race, Horch earned 1,230 votes to Crimmins’ 1,035 and Cornell du Houx’s 1,425.

dfishell@timesrecord.com