After reading the American Prospect’s profile of Maine Governor Paul LePage (written by Commonwealth Magazine alumna Gabrielle Gurley), I’m starting to have second thoughts about our state’s decision two hundred years ago to let Maine go its own way.
I mean, think about it: the first consequence of that decision was the expansion of slavery by way of the Missouri Compromise. And now, by way of Maine’s curious habit of electing governors who enjoy only a plurality, not a majority, of support, there’s two-term Governor Paul LePage, whose political success is largely the result of pitting one group of Mainers against another, with overtones of both class and racial warfare. Portland and southern Maine, Gurley reports, are contemptuously denoted as “northern Massachusetts” — that is, “a region full of rich people, socialists, immigrants, welfare recipients, and other unappealing types found in or near urban areas.”
The good news: the Governor’s office in Maine is term-limited. The teachable moment: LePage’s tenure in Maine gives us a glimpse of what a Trump presidency might be like. Check it out when you’re feeling brave.
Which would prevent the problems from the last two campaigns. They also have been very successful in electing independents, greens, and yes some socialists to the state legislature. One Governor the minority of the state approves of shouldn’t be how it’s judged.
Granted, the ME-2nd’s electoral votes will surely go for Trump.
…ME-2 (as with any individual CD) gets ONE electoral vote (and I’m not as convinced as you are on the result).
ME-02 is more conservative than ME-01. As such, there’s a chance that Trump peels off it’s electoral vote.
The US Congressman from ME-02, Bruce Poliquin (R) is listed as a tossup in Larry Sabato’s House Crystal Ball.
The Maine Senate is 20-15 GOP. Flip three seats, Dems have the majority.
My question: are there viable Democratic State Senate candidates in the ME-02 CD? It seems to me that pitching them a few bucks could help Maine Democrats take back the State Senate, help Emily Cain defeat Rep Poliquin in the US House, and also help make sure that Hillary Clinton wins that electoral vote.
For some context, Maine state senate campaigns typically spend thousands of dollars on an election, sometimes teens of thousands of dollars. Finding a state senate candidates (or some) in ME CD-02 and throwing them some bucks could really help swing state leg, US Congress, and the POTUS election. Seems like a pretty sound use of cash to me.
TL; DR What (if any) competitive state senate races are going on in CD ME-02 in 2016?