LEWISTON - The race for the 1st District seat on the Androscoggin County Commission was too close to call Wednesday morning.

At 12:45 a.m., four of the district's nine towns - Greene, Lisbon, Livermore and Turner, had counted their votes. The other five - Durham, Leeds, Livermore Falls, Sabattus and Wales - were still tallying the votes in the high-turnout election.

Among the counted votes, incumbent Elmer Berry led with 4,416 votes and challenger Randall Greenwood had 4,110.

Greenwood is serving as a selectman in Wales and is known locally as a past owner and operator of Mixers Nightclub in Sabattus for seven years.

The Republican said he ran for office to foster cooperation between the three-member commission and the rest of county leadership.

Berry, a Democrat, said he ran for re-election because he wanted to keep working to lower the burden for local property taxpayers.

Berry worked long hours during the spring of 2008 effort to create a network among Maine's 15 jails. State analysts have predicted that the merger might eventually save $1 billion over the next two decades.

A former member of the Maine Senate, Berry has served on the commission for the past eight years, much of that time as chairman.

However, the Greene Democrat's tenure on the commission grew controversial over the past two years, as he often disagreed with the decisions of Sheriff Guy Desjardins.

The pair hit a low point in May 2007, when the sheriff tried to hire a deputy despite the opposition of the three-member commission.

During one commission meeting, Berry threatened to have Desjardins removed after the sheriff repeatedly tried to bring up the matter.

The feud ended when a superior court justice sided with the commission, affirming the trio's right to hire - or not hire - a county employee.

The tension didn't end, though.

Later in 2007, Berry questioned Desjardins over a leave taken by several deputies to attend a memorial service in Washington for a deputy who drowned the previous year.

In that case, the Maine Association of Police called for Berry's resignation. The organization was joined by most of the sheriff's department, who wore black wristbands in solidarity.

Berry later apologized.