AUGUSTA
Accusations flew Monday when the three men vying for Maine governor met for another televised debate dominated by the taxes, energy and the economy.
The hour- long debate became bitter at times between Republican Gov. Paul LePage and Democrat Mike Michaud — who are polling neck and neck — while independent Eliot Cutler attempted to show he was above partisan bickering.
“Maine people are tired of 11 years of partisan warfare,” Cutler, who narrowly lost to LePage in 2010 and is polling at a distant third. “They are tired of people who believe that their parties are more important than the state of Maine.”
LePage, who’s vying for a second term, slammed Michaud’s plan for how to improve Maine, saying it sounds “like a recipe for blueberry cobbler” with “no details behind it.”
Meanwhile, Michaud blasted LePage for cutting taxes for wealthy residents and accused him of ignoring education in the state budget.
LePage countered that his tax overhaul removed more than 70,000 lowincome residents from the income tax rolls altogether.
The debate, held at the University of Southern Maine in Portland and aired live on WGME- TV, was the second televised debate for the three candidates.
They will take the stage tonight for what’s expected to be the last time before the Nov. 4 election for a debate that will air on WMTW-TV in Portland and WABI-TV in Bangor.
On Monday, the candidates also touched on their ideas for how to aid the state’s public university system, their plans for accelerating its economic recovery and their views on the Common Core educational standards.
But some of the most heated moments came as the candidates discussed their opponents’ leadership style.
After six-term Congressman Michaud touted his experience working with both parties while he was in the state Legislature, LePage said, “That was 30 years ago. What have you done since then?
Charging that LePage hasn’t done enough to help the state’s veterans, Michaud said, “Taking care of veterans is more than having ice cream socials at the Blaine House.”
Michaud also took issue with LePage’s claim that he isn’t a politician, saying he knows what issues divide Maine voters, like immigration and welfare.
“Governor … you’re not a leader,” Michaud said. “You don’t know how to bring people together.”
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less