Deputy who failed to complete wellness check on Lewiston shooter loses run for sheriff

A police officer stands beside a roadblock outside Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston one day after a mass shooter killed eight people at the location. (Photo by Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star)

A sergeant from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department who was named for failing to remove weapons from the perpetrator of the Lewiston mass shooting lost his run for sheriff. 

The Associated Press called the race for Sagadahoc County sheriff just before noon Wednesday with incumbent Joel Merry, a Democrat, earning 63% of the vote with 79% of the vote counted. Republican Aaron Skolfield earned 37% of the vote. 

Earlier this year, the state’s independent commission tasked with investigating the Lewiston shooting specifically mentioned Skolfield in an interim report for making only “limited attempts” to contact Robert Card II when he was called to do a wellness check the month before the Oct. 25, 2023, shooting.

The interim report said Merry was on medical leave at the time.

In her response to the commission’s findings, Maine Gov. Janet Mills called out Skolfield by name during a Sept. 6 press conference. Mills did not name incumbent Sheriff Joel Merry, though spoke about the overall office’s failings under his leadership.

This will be Merry’s fifth consecutive term as sheriff.