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As vote count continues, candidates wait to see what's next

The Republicans already have their candidate in Shawn Moody. The Democrats are still waiting to find out theirs as the ranked-choice process is carried out.

AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER Maine) — The election is over but voters still don’t know some of the winners.

Republicans have their candidate for governor because Shawn Moody won more than 50 percent of the GOP primary vote.

Under the new ranked-choice voting law, winning candidates must receive a true majority of the votes. If not, less successful candidates are dropped and votes are redistributed until someone wins a majority.

Republican Shawn Moody beat his opponents in the primary by a wide margin and achieved the majority election night in the first count. Moody said Wednesday that he will now reach beyond Republican voters to appeal to other Mainers.

"We know how to lead, collaborate, get people to work together, build consensus," Moody said.

Democrats are still waiting to find out who their primary. Janet Mills leads Adam Cote in the initial count, although 24 hours after the polls closed a number of towns had still not reported their vote totals.

A courier service on Thursday began picking up boxes of ballots of voting machine memory sticks and taking them to a collection point in Augusta. There, the actual ranked-choice counting process will be done and Democrats will find out who their gubernatorial candidate is.

The shape of the race for governor has become more clear. Moody is the GOP candidate, and now there are two independents on the ballot: Terry Hayes, the current state treasurer and business consultant Alan Caron. Both said Wednesday they think Maine is ready to elect another independent.

"In the last eight years, maybe last 16 years, we haven’t got much done at all," Caron said, referring to what he sees as inaction by the state legislature and governor. "Now we seem to be consumed with insults, food fights, old feuds, and I think people are tired of it."

Hayes said voters want people who can bring the sides together.

"I think Mainers are always ready to elect the best person for the job," she said. "Doesn’t matter what letter you have after your name."

Those independents and Moody said they are already beginning the campaign.

The full profile of the race for Maine’s highest office won’t be known until the Democratic nominee is determined through ranked choice.

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