Latest news with #MaineCleanElectionsAct
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here are the Republicans vying to replace Gov. Janet Mills next November
Both the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial primaries, slated for June 9, 2026, are open to all Maine voters. (Photo by Getty Images) Ben Midgley, a fitness executive from Kennebunkport, on Tuesday officially became the seventh Republican candidate in a crowded race for Gov. Janet Mills' seat. Midgley is the latest of 17 officially registered candidates vying to replace Mills, a Democrat who terms out next year. Both the Republican and Democratic primaries, slated for June 9, 2026, are open to all Maine voters. The primaries will be a ranked-choice ballot though the general election for governor in November will not. Most of the Republican candidates listed on the Maine Ethics Commission website have not held public office at the state level, with the exception of state Sen. Jim Libby (R-Standish). Bobby Charles, a lawyer who served under former Republican presidents, and former Paris selectman Robert Wessels have also been involved in politics in different capacities. In contrast, the Democratic field is stacked with party leaders, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Senate President Troy Jackson, and former Speaker of the Maine House of Representative and Mills administration official Hannah Pingree, among others. Other GOP candidates, including University of Maine System trustee Owen McCarthy, tout their financial credentials while framing themselves as political outsiders. All seven appear to have varying stances on issues including the economy, education and immigration, but almost all have expressed concern about the increasing cost of living in Maine, which according to a Pan Atlantic Research poll conducted this year was the biggest concern expressed by voters. Some have affiliated themselves with President Donald Trump, particularly real estate firm owner David Jones, who formed a political action committee to support his 2016 presidential campaign. Libby and Kenneth Capron are also the only candidates in the gubernatorial race so far relying on Maine Clean Elections Act funding. A bill this session that called to expand the fund failed, and the Maine Ethics Commission has raised concern about allocations not being enough if more than just two gubernatorial candidates run under the program in 2026. Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford, who left the Republican party to run as an independent for governor, said he chose not to run under clean elections because of fear that there wouldn't be sufficient funding. Libby, who represents parts of Cumberland, Oxford and York counties, is in the middle of his second consecutive term in the Maine Senate. He has also spent time as a state representative after being first elected to the Legislature in 1992, serving for six non-consecutive terms overall. Libby first ran for governor in 2002, but did not win the Republican gubernatorial primary. He is a professor at Thomas College, and serves on the Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee. Among the notable bills he introduced this legislative session are measures to add political affiliation as a protected class under the Maine Human Rights Act and reinstate the failed Property Tax Stabilization Program, neither of which passed. The Kennebunkport Republican has served as the president of Planet Fitness, the national gym chain with more than 2,700 locations, and was a founding partner and the former chief executive officer of Crunch Franchising, another chain with 460 locations nationwide. In a Facebook post announcing his candidacy, Midgley highlighted his background, explaining that he went from relying on food assistance to building successful businesses, and saying that that path is becoming increasingly inaccessible. 'Like so many, I've watched the cost of living skyrocket while paychecks fall further behind. I've seen small businesses struggle under burdensome regulations, families buckle under rising electricity bills, and young people leave Maine because they can't afford to stay,' he wrote. Ken Capron is a Portland-based retired Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and financial fraud investigator, according to a press release from Capron shared with News Center Maine. According to his LinkedIn profile, Capron is founder of MicroRail Inc., a transportation research organization, and previously served as Maine Medical Center's accounting director, among other positions. He declined to provide comment to Maine Morning Star. In 2022, he lost against Democrat Jill Duson in a bid for Portland's Senate District 27 seat. In his statement to News Center Maine, Capron raised issues with Maine's 'broken' legislative system, saying it 'imposes laws upon us that infringe on our everyday lives.' David Jones, a real estate firm owner from Falmouth, added his name to the list of Republicans running this spring. Jones owns F.O. Bailey Real Estate, and according to the Bangor Daily News, previously founded a commercial construction company that built high-rises, apartments and single-family homes. Jones has never held public office, but ran for governor as an independent two decades ago, but ultimately withdrew and endorsed the Republican candidate. On his campaign website, Jones has a photo with President Donald Trump, saying he has supported Trump since 2015 and in 2016 launched the Making Maine Great Again PAC. McCarthy, a University of Maine trustee from Gorham, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in June. On his campaign website, he said he was tired of the one-party rule in Augusta. 'The cost of living is spiraling out of control,' he said. 'We pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation to fund schools whose performance has dropped from among the best to nearly the worst. For too many Mainers, homeownership has shifted from the American Dream to merely a dream,' he wrote. McCarthy is a Harvard Business School graduate who co-founded MedRhythms, a medical technology company which helps patients recover mobility, the Portland Press Herald reported. He wants to focus on tax relief and 'crack down on illegal immigration by cooperating with federal law enforcement,' according to his website. Bobby Charles, a Leeds resident and lawyer who served under former President Ronald Reagan and both Bush administrations announced his candidacy in April. His campaign website highlights his tenure in federal politics, including as Assistant U.S. Secretary of State under George W. Bush. He has been vocal through his website, interviews and ads about making reforms including a 'crackdown on crime,' supporting law enforcement, cutting taxes and 'removing woke politics from the classroom.' In a campaign ad, Charles also called for the resignation of Rep. Deqa Dhalac (D-South Portland) for her 'pro-Somalia rhetoric.' Bangor resident and veteran Stephen Sheppard does not have political issues listed on his campaign website, nor has he spoken to any media outlets on his candidacy so far. His campaign filing shows two donations, both made in April, one from himself and one from a friend totaling $700. On his website, he says he will make the Appalachian Trail a top priority. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Committee rejects clean elections expansion, other proposals to alter election laws
Voters fill voting booths at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. (Photo by Michael G. Seamans/ Maine Morning Star) The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted down several proposals to alter election laws on Monday, including measures that sought to expand the state's clean elections program, eliminate ongoing absentee voter status, and reestablish a component of ranked choice voting tabulations that was done away with last session. The committee does however appear poised to sign off on requiring automatic recounts when there are apparent ties in elections, as currently there are no automatic recounts even in this case, though the final recommendation will be determined once absent members cast their votes in the coming days. These mark the first few committee recommendations for how the state should, or shouldn't, alter its elections laws this session. The bills will now head to the House of Representatives and Senate for floor votes. Other changes being weighed include a total elimination of ranked choice voting, an amendment to explicitly ban noncitizen voting (which is already illegal under the state constitution), and clarifying campaign finance laws. Earlier on Monday, the committee heard testimony on a proposal to require voters to update their signatures every five years and require the registrar from each municipality to review the central voter registration system annually. Several other tweaks to the Maine Clean Elections Act are also being considered this session. Passed by voters, the act was used for the first time in 2000 by candidates for the Maine Senate and House of Representatives. Portland was the first city in Maine to run a clean elections program in 2023, an effort headed by Maine Citizens for Clean Elections. That group's executive director, Anna Kellar, told Maine Morning Star that both expanding the program and increasing annual allocations above the $3 million currently provided are key priorities. In unanimous votes among those present, with Senate Assistant Majority Leader Jill Duson (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Anne Graham (D-North Yarmouth) absent, the committee recommended against the passage of two bills that sought to expand the state's clean elections program. LD 118 would expand the program to candidates running for sheriff and district attorney. Last session, lawmakers passed legislation to allow candidates for district attorney to also participate, but the bill was among those enacted when lawmakers reconvened for the final day of the session that Gov. Janet Mills refused to sign. A separate bill that would expand public financing to those offices as well as to county commissioners is also expected to be considered this session, however the committee's argument against the more narrow measure signals passage of broader expansion appears unlikely. While Rep. Laura Supica (D-Bangor) said she likes the idea of expanding clean elections, she can't support it at this time. 'We don't live in a world with unlimited funds,' Supica said, 'and we're facing some tough budget choices.' The state is expecting a $450 million deficit over the next biennium. Reiterating budget concerns, Rep. Marc Malon (D-Biddeford) also said he does not want to dilute the funding available for the candidates currently under the program. During the public hearing on the proposal, it became clear the state's current clean elections allocation is being drained faster than it is being replenished. Lawmakers similarly rejected LD 454, which would allow candidates for secretary of state and attorney general to participate, but for different reasons — largely because it addresses a hypothetical scenario. Currently, those positions are appointed by the Legislature. Efforts to make those posts subject to popular election have historically failed but another proposal is being considered this session. 'I really support the election by the people of the three constitutional officers, and the statutory office of state auditor, but we're not there yet,' said committee co-chair Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec), referencing the other legislation. But Hickman argued legislating clean elections policy for positions that are not yet elected would be an overstep. Rep. Benjamin Hymes (R-Waldo) agreed and put it this way: 'This is a little bit of the cart before the horse.' Those present also unanimously opposed LD 718, which seeks to eliminate ongoing absentee voter status and require municipal clerks to issue absentee ballots only to residents of their municipality. Calling the measure a solution looking for a problem, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle argued it would harm seniors and people with disabilities who rely on family members and friends who do not live within the same municipal boundaries to submit their ballots. Hymes, who represents Waldo County, said this change would create substantial problems for his constituents, who are often a part of large families with many older relatives. 'It doesn't make sense in rural Maine whatsoever,' Hymes said of the bill. The final tally of the committee votes on all of the bills considered on Monday will technically not be confirmed until absent members cast their votes, which are due Wednesday. But those late votes could only change the outcome of the committee recommendation for LD 600, which seeks to require automatic recounts when there are apparent ties in elections. Five of the committee members present voted for an amendment that would not offer automatic recounts but instead clarify who has standing to request recounts — any candidate who is not the winner. Six want the move forward with the original proposal. Malon, the bill sponsor, said the amendment would not address the underlying reason for the bill. Under current law, if no candidate requests a recount in an apparent tie, a recount may not happen, Malon told the committee when first presenting the bill earlier this month. 'If there is no recount, the Secretary of State would notify the relevant body that there was a tie and that no one had requested a recount,' Malon said. 'It would be up to that body to decide whether they agree it was a tie and if a special election was necessary.' The legislators who favor the version Malon originally proposed, requiring automatic recounts, argued special elections would cost more than a recount. 'I get that it's making more laws for more laws for more laws and common sense should take place,' Supica said, 'but if there's one thing I'm learning as I get older is that this world does not have a whole lot of common sense this time. I think it's clarity and it seems like just an obvious choice.' The majority of committee members present Monday voted against reestablishing batch elimination to ranked-choice voting tabulations in a 3-7 vote, with Duson, Hickman and Graham absent. When Maine voters initially passed ranked-choice voting in 2016, the law included batch elimination, which allows for the simultaneous elimination of candidates that receive such low vote totals that it would be mathematically impossible for any of them to win. However, the Legislature passed a law last session eliminating the ability to use this practice. At that time, Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn testified the elimination was logistically necessary. In the session before last, the 130th, a new batch elimination rule was set for presidential primary elections to not allow the practice when any candidate received more than 100 votes, but it was still always permitted for other offices. Flynn argued it seemed more prudent to eliminate the rule entirely because otherwise the department would have had to develop and maintain two different algorithms leading up the 2024 election cycle. Now with that cycle behind, Rep. David Boyer (R-Poland), the sponsor of the bill this year, said the issue needs to be revisited. 'Batch elimination simplifies the tabulation process while preserving the benefits of ranked-choice voting,' Boyer told the committee when presenting the bill earlier this month. 'It does not affect the way voters cast their ballots or the way candidates run their campaigns. Rather, it offers a more concise method of counting ballots.' Conversely, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said in her testimony opposing the legislation, 'It does not save the state time or money to do batch elimination and we have greater detail about the voters' intentions when we use round-by-round elimination.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
