AUBURN — Garrett Mason and Greg Bianconi are facing off in a special election to fill the final two years of a four-year term for the District 4 seat on the Androscoggin County Commission.

Garrett Mason

District 4 includes Lisbon, Sabattus and Wales.

Mason, 37, a Republican from Lisbon, was appointed in January to fill the seat formerly held by Isaiah Lary until there is an election.

A former majority leader in the state Senate, Mason graduated from Calvary Christian Academy in Turner in 2003 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management from Pensacola Christian College in Florida in 2007.

He and his wife, Rebekah, have a daughter, Piper.

Bianconi, 70, retired after 35 years as a family physician in Lisbon. The Democratic challenger attended Brown University for undergraduate and medical school.

Greg Bianconi

He has been married 43 years and has three children and 10 grandchildren. He has been active with the First Universalist Church of Auburn for 39 years and is working part time at CMMC’s Family Practice Residency mentoring new physicians.

Why are you running for Androscoggin County Commission?

Mason: Public service has always been very important to me. I have spent many years fighting for the people of Lisbon, Sabattus, and Wales, both as a state senator and now as a county commissioner. I’m running for county commissioner because I believe I can bring a steady, experienced and conservative voice to the commission. It would be an honor to continue representing our three towns at the county seat in Auburn.

Bianconi: I am hoping to bring a fresh face to county issues, problems and budget.

What is the biggest challenge facing the county and how would you solve it?

Mason: The county faces many challenges, but perhaps one of the largest is aging facilities and maintenance. The county buildings and offices are over 150 years old. Some are newer, like the jail, but most are not. The maintenance, efficiency and health conditions in the facility are burdensome and costly. By using federal Covid relief money to repair and replace facilities and systems we will be able to reduce costs in the long run and save local taxpayer dollars long after the one-time infusion of federal money is exhausted.

Bianconi: The events of the summer have highlighted the major problem of homelessness in the county as a whole. Solutions shouldn’t just fall to Lewiston, and I would like to see how the county can contribute.