January 24

Cutler signals Blaine House run

By Michael Shepherd mshepherd@mainetoday.com
State House Bureau

(Continued from page 1)

Baldacci, who served as governor from 2003 to 2011, said recently he is considering running for governor in 2014, in part because of the "negativism" permeating the political climate.

On Thursday, Baldacci appeared on Portland radio station WGAN, insinuating that the PPP poll results showed Cutler should not enter the race because it's "very clear" LePage has the edge in a three-person race.

"Why should somebody who's going to come in as an independent, or somebody who claims to be an independent, get into the race and then end up being a loser anyways?" Baldacci said.

"Those people who want to get into the race on top of the established parties ought to stop and think: Are they going to win the race or are they going in as a spoiler in the race?"

O'Meara said Baldacci's words signaled the former governor's "sense of entitlement" relating to the two major political parties, saying Baldacci should ask himself the same question, since Mitchell could be considered the 2010 "spoiler."

O'Meara also cited Cutler's last showing and the 2012 election of U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, as proof that independents in Maine are strong.

"Everybody has a right to run and I think Eliot proved in 2010 that he was a serious, formidable candidate," O'Meara said.

"Maine, in particular, is a state where we have shown independents can do very well."

State House Bureau reporter Michael Shepherd can be reached at 370-7652 or at

mshepherd@mainetoday.com

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