By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

Scarborough resident and former town councilor Mark Maroon, who has openly opposed the proposal for a racino development at Scarborough Downs since it became public, said he’s worried about the implications a recount of Tuesday’s vote could have.

The project was voted down in an approximate 5,100 to 5,400 vote; a less than 6 percent margin.

“We all knew it was going to be close,” Maroon said. “To be honest, I thought we were going to lose.”

Maroon and other followers of the project waited until noon on Wednesday to receive the results, 14 hours after the closing of the polls, due to a complication with absentee ballot processing, City Clerk staff member Carrie Noyes said. Maroon said the group took the wait “in stride.”

“There’s nothing you can do about it,” he said.

Town Council Chairman Jeff Messer, who recently told the public he was in support of the racino project said he felt the vote was “a clear indication of the will of the people.”

“Any politician who ignores the will of the people will do so at their own peril,” he said. “I don’t see Scarborough approving a project like this even in the next 20 years.”

“Save our Scarborough” spokesperson Sue Foley-Ferguesson said she was “proud and excited” the project was voted down during such a crucial time for the town.

“It was the best scenario for their race,” she said. “They wait for a presidential election and a bad economy so they can promise jobs and tax dollars. They had their ducks in a row and still lost, hopefully it will be the last word.”

Scarborough Village Partners spokesperson Gene Beaudoin said the group was discussing requesting a recount, but was “happy about all the support” the project received.

“It was an intense effort over a short period of time,” he said. “[Scarborough Downs owner] Sharon Terry remains committed to the harness racing industry and she’s going to have to evaluate everything.”

Town council candidate Karen D’Andrea, who has openly opposed the racino proposal, said she was surprised to learn she received nearly 6,700 votes – the most of any candidate in the race.

“I received a lot of votes from people who were in favor of the racino even though they knew I was not,” she said. “I think people respected the fact I was strong on my stance.”

Two other council appointees are no strangers to town politics; with an estimated 6,200 votes Shawn Babine will return to the council after taking a year off and Ron Alhquist will remain in his seat, having received more than 5,500 votes.

According to the city clerks office, approximately 11,750 Scarborough voters cast their ballot either by absentee or at the polls on Tuesday, an 86 percent turnout.

Scarborough residents backed the sentiment of the rest of the nation by supporting President elect Barack Obama on Tuesday. Obama received more than 6,750 Scarborough votes while Republican candidate John McCain received less than 5,000 and was ultimately defeated in the state by an 18 percent margin. 

In the Senate race, Scarborough favored Republican candidate Susan Collins over Democratic candidate Tom Allen, who received approximately 3,000 less votes and was defeated in the state as a whole by an estimated 21 percent margin. Another Republican candidate and Scarborough native Charlie Summers won in the local poles by more than 2,000 votes but lost to Democratic candidate Chellie Pingree in Congress District 1 as a whole by an estimated 12 percent margin.

The new representative of State Senate District 6, which includes part of Gorham and Scarborough, is Democratic candidate Phil Bartlett, who won over Phil Csoros in both towns by less than 900 votes. In the State Senate District 7 race, which includes portions of Cape Elizabeth, South Portland and Scarborough, Democratic candidate Lawrence Bliss received nearly twice as many votes as Republican candidate Thomas Dunne, who wrote in an email, “best wishes [to Bliss] as he heads to Augusta to deal with some very challenging issues,” in anticipation of the results.

When it comes to the House of Representatives Scarborough favored Democratic candidates Sean Flaherty, who won by less than 600 votes, and Peggy Pendleton, who gained her seat with a 47 percent margin.

“I was really surprised,” Pendleton said. “We won in an area that is really difficult for Democrats, but it is a trend across the nation.”