Tag Archives: Eliot Cutler

Unhappy with LePage budget, Maine Democrats to unveil their own

Good morning from Augusta, where legislative Democrats are promising to unveil an alternative to Gov. Paul LePage’s budget proposal today as Republicans say they’re drawing a thick line on eliminating the voter-approved 3 percent surtax on income over $200,000 to fund education. This is becoming a regular piece of budget negotiations in Augusta: It’ll come […]

Maine AG, Republicans tell high court they believe ranked-choice voting is unconstitutional

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills and legislative Republicans told the state’s high court on Friday that the ranked-choice voting system approved by voters in 2016 is unconstitutional, setting up a fight with advocates for the law. Legal briefs were due to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Friday ahead of an April oral argument in […]

Angus King backs Clinton, hitting Trump’s ‘judgment and temperament’

U.S. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent, told CNN on Thursday that he’d vote for Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in November, questioning Republican Donald Trump’s “judgment and temperament.” The former governor’s endorsement isn’t much of a surprise, since he caucuses with Democrats, generally supports their agenda and he has a preclusion to supporting politicians with deep […]

How each campaign spent in their final days

Campaigns for Republican Gov. Paul LePage and Democrat Mike Michaud spent up until the day before the election to try and win over voters. The expenditures in those final days give some insight into how the campaigns hoped they would push their respective candidates over the top. Michaud’s campaign spent heavily on television ads, with most spending right […]

LePage wins re-election at Marden’s prices

Candidates for governor are battling for hearts and minds. Sure. But while they fight with their words, they also do it with their money and other people’s money (which, in American politics, roughly equals words). Candidates can’t just buy votes (so the review is a bit crude), but it is possible to put a rough price tag on […]

LePage hops on the radio (and your phone) and Cutler keeps money on the table

I’m not a gambling man, but even if I were, I’d probably stay far away from the gubernatorial election this year, partly because it’s a game that’s too rich for my blood. In fact, it’s a game where independent Eliot Cutler, who said this week that his odds aren’t great, put another $150,000 of his own money down Tuesday […]

PACs dump another $1.2 million into Maine governor’s race

Wondering how to blow $1.2 million in two days? Try a whole lot of TV ads. At least, that’s how seven political action committees spent their $1.2 million over the last two days, according to the latest filings with the Maine Ethics Commission. Most of that spending — about $852,000 — went to benefit the campaign of Democrat Mike Michaud, who is […]

LePage campaign drops $100,000 on mailers, prepares TV ad

Marking the likely start of late campaign spending from the GOP, Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s campaign on Monday afternoon reported spending about $100,000 for mailings to voters and another $4,120 for production of a TV ad. The spending comes as ads paid for by the Republican Governors Association attacking Democrat Mike Michaud — to the tune of about $593,543 — hit the airwaves. It bodes […]