The Maine Republican Party has elected Jim Deyermond, Chairman of the York County Republican Committee, as its new state party leader.
Deyermond won by a narrow margin, defeating one-term incumbent Joel Stetkis in a two-round leadership vote on Saturday.
The change comes after a solid performance in the 2024 election cycle, though Republicans fell short in key races, including a tight contest against Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden in the 2nd District and continued minority status in both legislative chambers.
Deyermond, a former Massachusetts State Police sergeant now residing in Sanford, is expected to release a statement on his victory.
The leadership election process, which involved four candidates, saw Stetkis narrowly lead in the first round before Deyermond emerged victorious with a 42-37 vote after the elimination of two other candidates. The party was also in the process of electing a new vice chair and other officials.
This leadership change follows Stetkis’s rise to the chairmanship in 2023, when he ousted three-term chair Demi Kouzounas.
During his campaign, Stetkis criticized the party’s focus on top-down leadership, particularly its emphasis on candidates like former Gov. Paul LePage, who lost to Gov. Janet Mills. The current leadership election was less publicly contentious.
Meanwhile, the Maine Democratic Party is also poised for a leadership transition. Bev Uhlenhake, the current chair, announced she would step down for personal and professional reasons.
Portland City Councilor April Fournier and Leeds lawyer Charles Dingman are vying to replace her in the upcoming leadership elections on January 26.