AUGUSTA, Maine — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows issued a decision regarding challenges brought by two Maine voters to the nomination petitions filed by David Corbett as a candidate for the Republican Party nomination for York County Sheriff.
The Secretary of State’s Office received two challenges to the nomination of Corbett, each filed on March 23, 2026, pursuant to 21-A M.R.S.A., section 354. Written challenges from Brian Pellerin and Heidi Sampson, each alleging that Mr. Corbett has no recorded history of holding a supervisory position as required by Maine statute 30-A M.R.S. §371-B (3)(E).
A consolidated hearing was held at 9:30 a.m. on March 27 in Augusta with Director of Elections Heidi Peckham serving as the Presiding Officer at the Hearing and Assistant Attorney General Jon Bolton assisting as legal counsel. The hearing was live-streamed to the Department’s YouTube page and is still available to view online.
The Secretary, upon review of the proceedings and evidence, determined that Mr. Corbett met the requirements under 30-A M.R.S. §371-B (4) which reads: “Any person who served as a full-time law enforcement officer employed by a municipal police department or a state agency, including the University of Maine System, on or before July 1, 1990 or is serving in the office of sheriff on June 26, 2021 or served prior to that date is deemed to meet the minimum qualifications of subsection 3.” The Pellerin and Sampson challenges were therefore denied.
“Based on the proceedings and the evidence before me, I agree with the conclusion and recommendation submitted by the hearings officer that Mr. Corbett met the requirements of the law that allows citizens who served in law enforcement prior to 1990 to run for sheriff even without holding a position of supervisory authority.”
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