Former District Attorney is running for Hancock County Probate Judge position.
Mar 18, 2026
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HANCOCK COUNTY—Long-time Hancock County Sheriff Scott Kane has not filed papers for reelection after serving more than 11 years in the lead law enforcement role.
March 16 was the deadline to file paperwork in the Republican primary. Sheriff Kane said he does not have an official statement at this time.
Current Hancock County Lieutenant Dakota Dupuis, a Democrat, and former Hancock County Chief Deputy Corey Bagley, a Republican, have both filed.
Bagley worked for the Ellsworth Police Department as a detective after he left the Sheriff’s Department in 2023 as chief deputy. He began in 1991 with the Swan’s Island contract for the county department and worked many years for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA).
At 20 Dupuis was the youngest in his class at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. From there, he worked for the Orono Police Department for four years before joining the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. There he worked for MDEA as well and became lieutenant in 2024.
Bagley filed back in January 2025 and has raised approximately $4,600. Dupuis is just short of that, raising $4,300 since he filed in November 2025.
Matthew Foster, who had been the Hancock County District Attorney until November 2022 when he lost reelection to current Hancock County District Attorney Robert Granger, has filed to run for the Hancock County probate judge position.
William B. Blaisdell IV currently holds that position. There was a warrant for Blaisdell’s arrest and his license to practice law has been suspended because of multiple instances where he did not pay child support to his ex-wife.
Foster had lost reelection after he said in a 2022 League of Women Voters candidates’ forum that he’d never been investigated by the attorney general’s office. However, in 2017 and 2018 he had been investigated by state officials. Charges were never filed and Foster denied the allegation that he’d inappropriately touched a young teen who was living at his home during that time period.
While Blaisdell’s license has been suspended, probate judges from other counties have been performing his duties.
According to the Bangor Daily News, Blaisdell “turned himself in Tuesday morning on an arrest warrant after he failed to appear in a Belfast court for a hearing on overdue child support he owed his ex-wife. He posted $16,929.50 bail — the amount of child support he owed — and was released later in the day from Hancock County Jail in Ellsworth.”
Independent candidates can fill their intent to run anytime through June 1.
Despite the sheriff’s race, there are many county elections throughout the state where no one has filed prior to the county deadline giving voters little or no choice in representation.
“Among 23 commission seats with partisan elections this year, only four will be contested by both parties. Those seats are in Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford and Waldo counties. Six other seats are so far only being contested in primary elections. This is a dip in interest relative to 2022, when voters in 11 districts were able to choose between the two parties,” another BDN article explained.
Hancock County has three commissioners. The one up for reelection is John Wombacher who serves Bucksport, Orland, Penobscot, Brooksville, Sedgwick, Brooklin, Dedham, Deer Isle, Stonington, Verona and Castine.
The commissioner who serves the MDI region is Samuel DiBella.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Corey Bagley for Sheriff Facebook page.
Dakota Dupuis for Sheriff Facebook page.
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