A Maine state representative who allegedly strangled his wife after she confronted him and his mistress about their affair narrowly won his re-election bid by exactly one vote.
Lucas Lanigan, 45, was charged in October with aggravated domestic violence assault for choking his wife after the couple got into an argument.
The Republican lawmaker faced off against Democratic challenger Patty Kidder for a state House seat representing Shapleigh, Newfield, Sanford and Springvale.
The November 5 results showed the two candidates tied, but a recount showed Lanigan won the seat by one vote.
Lanigan received 2,478 votes and Kidder received 2,477 votes Maine News Center.
“Instead of the apparent parity from the election night results, Representative Lanigan is now the elected representative,” said Emily Cook, director of communications for the Office of the Secretary of State.
Lanigan was arrested after allegedly choking his wife “for approximately 20 seconds,” Sergeant Jeremy Riddle said in an affidavit viewed by Bangor daily news.
His wife, Catalina Lanigan, 43, confronted her husband at the Springvale Safe Storage on River Street on October 25 shortly before 1pm when the couple got into an argument.
Lucas Lanigan, 45, was charged in October with domestic violence and aggravated assault for choking his wife
Maine state representative (left) allegedly strangled his wife (right) after she confronted him and his mistress about their affair
After he strangled her, she managed to escape and return home, where she called friends and later reported the incident to police around 3 p.m., police said.
The mother was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland for an examination, where bruising around her neck and small marks on her face, nose and mouth consistent with subcutaneous bleeding were found, the affidavit said.
An arrest warrant was issued for the Republican, who landed himself in jail on October 28 after returning from a business trip.
During his first court appearance on October 30, Catalina requested that the charges be dropped, describing the incident as a “misunderstanding.”
His bail was set at $3,000 and his next court appearance is scheduled for March. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine NBC News.
Lanigan went on to win his election by a stunning margin, saying in a Facebook post, “This election serves as a powerful reminder that every vote truly counts.”
In a separate post, Lanigan said: ‘I have thick skin but for my family enough is enough! I will not fight these ridiculous allegations alone.”
Kidder conceded the race in a Facebook post acknowledging the charges against Lanigan.
Catalina Lanigan, 43, asked for charges to be dropped, describing the incident as a ‘misunderstanding’
After his arrest, Lanigan (pictured with his family in 2016) won re-election by one vote.
“We are aware of the perceived personal circumstances surrounding this election and want everyone to know that you deserve to love and be loved, safe and respected,” she said.
Maine House Democrats called for his “immediate resignation” in a statement saying, “We are stunned, dismayed and shocked by the details of the charges against Representative Lucas Lanigan revealed in an affidavit from the Sanford Police Department .
‘Domestic violence of any kind is unacceptable. These very serious allegations demonstrate that Representative Lanigan is clearly unfit to continue serving as a State Representative.
“We agree with Chairman Rachel Talbot Ross’s call for his resignation and hope he takes it upon himself to do the right thing.”
Ross said Lanigan is ‘violating’ the ‘requirements’ [for] integrity and accountability” required by those who serve the public.