State reps eying commissioner slots blast pair running in districts they don't live in

From left, Joi Pitre, Cliff Newton and Deanna Rollo (Courtesy photos)

CONCORD - Records show that on June 13 the Secretary of States Cumulative filings listed incumbent Strafford County Commissioner Deanna Rollo with an address of 23 Heritage Drive in Rollinsford and Sean Levitt with an address of 37 Ash St. in Dover both signed up and running for County Commissioner in District 2 where they reside.

One day later, June 14, the last day of signups, they both had changed to run in District 3, a district they do not reside in. The change puts them in a race against Cliff Newton, a five-term state representative and lifelong resident of District 3. Newton says the switch flies in the face of logic and state statute.

"How can you run for a district you do not live in," he said on Friday. "That would seem to disenfranchise the voters by asking them to cast a ballot for someone who lives outside their district. State law says a person must have a domicile in the district from which he is elected at the time of his election. Are they planning on moving?"

Commissioner candidates Newton and Joe Pitre, of Farmington, who is running for Strafford County Commissioner District 1, filed a complaint with Secretary of State David Scanlan on Tuesday in which they ask the panel to, "Please make an official decision as to whether or not candidates for Strafford County Commissioner can run for a district they are not domiciled in."

Pitre, a seven-term state rep, and but for serving 11 years in the Air Force, has made District 1 his lifelong home.

"It seems disingenuous for candidates to run for districts they're not registered in" he said on Friday. "State laws say you must be domiciled in the individual district."

Newton, Pitre and Leavitt are all Republicans. Rollo is a Democrat.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Chairman George Maglaras is running in District 2, his home district, while current commissioner Robert Watson is not seeking re-election.

A hearing to determine if Rollo and Levitt can run for a position while living out of district has been scheduled with the Ballot Law Commission for July 2 at 10 a.m. in Concord.

If the commission allows Leavitt to run in District 3 he will face Newton in a GOP primary on Sept. 10.

Rollo and Leavitt were not immediately available for comment.