AUGUSTA — A recount of a state House race in Lewiston on Friday handed a win to the incumbent Democrat, Michel “Mike” Lajoie, who has held the seat since 2022.

Lajoie, a former city fire chief, squeaked past former Lewiston City Council President Lee Clement, who lost a municipal reelection bid in 2023 and took aim at Lajoie’s legislative seat this year.

The final count added up to 2,556 for Lajoie to 2,517 for Clement.

Clement watched the entire recount from a front-row seat Friday. He said he did not expect the results to change, but thought he owed it to his voters to make sure the numbers were accurate. “I’m going to go enjoy life,” said Clement.

Lajoie initially had planned to step down, but opted to seek another term at the urging of party leaders who worried his Republican-leaning district might opt for a GOP successor.

A preliminary count on Election Night had Lajoie ahead by less than 1%, claiming 2,550 in House District 96 compared to 2,514 for Clement.

Lajoie previously served in the Legislature from 2008 until 2014.

Lewiston’s legislative delegation is little-changed in the wake of this year’s election. The only newcomer is Democrat Julie McCabe, who was unopposed in District 93. She succeeds state Rep. Margaret Craven, a Democrat.

The others in the delegation are state Sen. Peggy Rotundo and state Reps. Mana Abdi and Kristen Cloutier. All three are Democrats.