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

July 25, 2012

Maine legislative scramble starts early and louder

With control of the Legislature at stake, officials of both parties say they have the upper hand.

By Steve Mistler smistler@pressherald.com
Staff Writer

The candidates for the Legislature have been chosen. The races are set.

On your marks. Get set. Rhetoric.

With a polarizing figure like Gov. Paul LePage in the Blaine House, the biennial battle for the 186 seats in the Legislature -- and control of state government -- may seem a little louder in 2012 than in previous years. And it's starting early.

The final deadline has expired for parties to draft legislative candidates. Democrats failed to draft candidates in 10 races, the Republicans in four. Both parties are claiming they have the upper hand.

Officials in both parties said recruitment efforts were at an all-time high. At stake is control of the Legislature and, potentially, the future of Gov. Paul LePage's policy agenda.

Republicans currently hold a 77-70 lead in the House, which also has two unenrolled members and two seats vacant. The Senate has 19 Republicans, 15 Democrats and one unenrolled member.

Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant cautioned against reading into 10 Democratic vacancies, which exceeds the five unfilled spots the party had in 2010 and the two slots in 2008. He said energy in the party is high thanks to LePage and a Republican majority that overreached with unpopular policies.

"I've said from the beginning that Gov. LePage and the agenda that Republicans have pursued in Augusta is a galvanizing force on our side and that's proving true both in terms of interest and people's willingness to participate," Grant said.

Grant said the party was targeting between 30 to 40 races in the House of Representatives and approximately 10 in the Senate. The goal isn't to take back the House, he said, but the Senate, too. He said Democrats will be competitive "all over the map," including some traditional GOP strongholds.

Maine GOP Chairman Charlie Webster, however, isn't buying it. Webster said Democrats had recruited "far left" candidates who can't relate to Mainers.

"They've gone out and recruited a bunch of people from Occupy Maine and the Maine People's Alliance (a progressive advocacy group)," Webster said. "Somebody who protests in Occupy Maine probably isn't going to win any district outside of Portland."

He added, "We've gone out and recruited a bunch of blue-collar people -- plumbers, waitresses, truck drivers, teachers, hairdressers -- people Mainers can relate to."

Officials in the GOP also noted that Democrats failed to draft candidates in 10 districts, including Senate District 12, a seat currently held by Democrat Sen. Bill Diamond, of Windham. The absence of a Democrat would appear to give Republican hopeful Gary Plummer the inside track to victory.

However, Grant said that in some cases local Democratic county committees made the decision not to put forward a candidate, believing that the unenrolled candidate in the race has a decent chance of winning and will caucus with Democrats if they do.

Of the 10 races that Democrats didn't field a candidate, five feature an independent.

Webster said Democrats were trying to fool voters into supporting independents that are actually Democrats.

"I think it's a strategy, but I don't think it's a winning strategy," Webster said.

In Senate District 12, unenrolled candidate Martin Shuer will take on Plummer. In House District 42, which represents Waldo and Winterport, former Democratic representative Joseph Brooks is running as an independent against Republican contender Leo LaChance. Brooks served three terms as a Democrat between 1997 and 2002.

James Campbell, a former Republican, served four terms in House District 138, which represents Alfred and Limerick. Campbell is now running as an independent against Republican Judee Meyer.

"Our team is motivated and confident that Maine voters will want to send more Republicans to Augusta to become part of the solution that is working," said House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, adding that "small-business owners, farmers, fishermen, and teachers -- people from every walk of life" -- are among the candidates.

(Continued on page 2)

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