The Republican Committees from Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, and Waldo counties met April 10 to select names to send to the governor to replace Geoffrey Rushlau as district attorney for Prosecutorial District 6. Rushlau was nominated on March 29 to join the Maine District Court.

Only two candidates presented themselves. To be considered, a candidate had to be an attorney, as well as a member of the Republican party in one of the four counties in the district. The two candidates were Jonathan Liberman, deputy DA for District Six under Rushlau, and Paul Cavanaugh, deputy DA for District Four, which includes Kennebec County.

Liberman, of West Bath, has been a prosecutor for six years; Cavanaugh, of Woolwich, has been a prosecutor for 25 years, formerly in Washington County and now in Kennebec County.

Since Gov. Paul LePage had requested more than one choice, the 50 Republicans in attendance were asked to vote to send both candidates’ names to LePage. LePage will choose between them after receiving a detailed resume, a background check, a tax check, and other documentation. Whoever is selected will have to run for reelection in 2018.

The assembled Republicans had many questions before they were ready to vote, despite a request by Republican National Committeeman Alex Willette to vote for both and ask questions privately afterward. Most questions had to do with how the candidates would address particular issues within the DA’s office, such as how funds are allocated and how they could keep costs down, whether to pursue restorative justice, how to deal effectively with the opioid crisis, and whether or not to create a drug court in District Six. A drug court has been somewhat successful in District Four, but funding has to be identified for it, and the judges have to be willing to use the court to divert defendants away from the regular court system into a possible rehabilitation program and treatment program.

In the end, the two candidates were voted on to the governor’s office unanimously.

Rushlau’s hearing will be planned by May, according to Judiciary Committee Clerk Susan Pinette.