Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

Two independent candidates have filed nomination papers to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Olympia Snowe, and neither is named Angus.

Steve Woods, chairman of the Yarmouth Town Council and a long-time business executive, turned  in 4,047 signatures Tuesday, according to Megan Sanborn, spokeswoman for the Maine Secretary of State’s Office.

Danny Dalton of Bath, an apparent political newcomer, filed 4,134 sigantures on the May 18, Sanborn said.

Independent candidates who want to be on the Nov. 6 ballot must file at least 4,000 qualified signatures by 5 p.m. June 1. That’s twice as many signatures as were required of the candidates running in the June 12 Republican and Democratic primaries.

Former Gov. Angus King, meanwhile, is still keeping the political world waiting. King has been the presumed frontrunner since announcing in March he would seek Snowe’s seat, but he has yet to file his signatures.

King will make it official next week, but isn’t in any hurry, and why should he be? Even without being an official candidate, King has been getting blasted by all six Republican candidates. Five of them called him a big-spending liberal among other things at a business forum in South Portland Wednesday. King also has been taking some hits from some of the Democratic candidates.

King may well be looking forward to June 13, when he’ll have just one Republican and one Democrat running against him.

Of course, he’ll also have Woods, Dalton and any other independent candidates trying to knock him down, too. King is not the only independent still expected to submit signatures next week, Sanborn said.

Woods, for one, has been frustrated by all the attention given King and took a jab at the former governor in a news release today announcing his filing of signatures.

“As the only genuine independent candidate for the United States Senate Seat in Maine, I am confident that voters will have a clear and compelling choice to make on November 6,” Woods said. There's more about him on his website.

Woods has been a business executive for more than 30 years with such companies as  TideSmart Global, Coca-Cola USA and Maine Red Claws. http://www.stevewoods2012.com

About the Author

Subscribe to the
Open Season RSS

Open Season targets all of Maine's political wildlife, from Portland city government to the donkeys, elephants and independents stalking the Statehouse and U.S. Capitol.

John Richardson joined the Press Herald in 1990 after working as a reporter in New Jersey. He has covered a variety of beats, including marine issues, the environment and health care. He is now covering politics and focusing on Maine's U.S. Senate race.
John can be reached at 791-6324 or jrichardson@pressherald.com
On Twitter: @jrichmaine

Colin Woodard has covered politics and elections for more than two decades, from Bosnia and Bucharest to Washington, D.C., Augusta, and Portland City Hall. He has written for a wide range of national and international publications and is the author of four books, including "American Nations," a history of North America's regional cultures. He joined the Portland Press Herald at the end of April and covers political finance and lobbying, among other things.
Colin can be reached at 791-6317 or cwoodard@pressherald.com

Susan Cover has covered Maine politics for 10 years and worked in Kansas, Ohio and Rhode Island as a reporter. This year, she is focusing on covering the same-sex marriage debate for MaineToday Media.
Susan can be reached at 621-5643 or scover@mainetoday.com

Michael Shepherd joined MaineToday Media in May 2012 after graduating from the University of Maine in Orono, where he edited The Maine Campus, the student newspaper there. Until November he'll be writing the Truth Test, a recurring feature analyzing political statements and advertising.
Michael can be reached at 621-5632 or mshepherd@mainetoday.com

Subscribe to the
Open Season RSS

Previous entries