Maine Republicans face leadership decision in wake of election losses

Dec. 27—A number of candidates search to steer the Maine Republican Occasion because it tries to rebound from bruising election losses in November.

Chairwoman Demi Kouzounas is searching for a fourth time period as chief of the state get together, saying it is going to be her closing two-year time period. She touted the get together’s fundraising success underneath her management in a short written assertion that didn’t tackle the get together’s failure to win majorities within the Legislature or the governor’s workplace.

One challenger is former Rep. Joel Stetkis of Canaan, who served as Home minority chief within the earlier Legislature. He didn’t straight criticize Kouzounas in a current interview, however stated he needs to focus extra on native and legislative races and candidates versus top-of-the-ticket races reminiscent of governor.

“My focus could be on profitable elections,” Stetkis stated. “It isn’t rocket science. It is profitable elections. I really feel Republicans and the rules that we maintain expensive are a better profit to the Maine individuals and could be an enchancment on their lives, their livelihoods and their households.”

Stetkis took conservative positions on points as a legislator, together with opposing will increase within the minimal wage, calling the state’s clear elections program “welfare for politicians,” and opposing masks and vaccine mandates.

Rep. Heidi Sampson, R-Alfred, is also searching for the publish, in response to a report within the Maine Wire, a conservative information web site. Sampson didn’t reply to an interview request about her curiosity within the job after requesting that questions be submitted in writing.

If elected as get together chief, Sampson must resign from the Legislature. The get together bylaws prohibit legislators from being officers.

Sampson has been an outspoken conservative, as soon as evaluating vaccine mandates to Nazi medical experiments in the course of the Holocaust. She additionally referred to as for a forensic audit of Maine’s 2020 presidential election outcomes, one thing former President Donald Trump’s allies did across the nation as he fought to overturn the election.

Story continues

The get together is predicted to elect a brand new chairperson on Jan. 28. It is common to have a number of candidates for the job and different candidates may nonetheless emerge.

The Maine Democratic Occasion, which outperformed expectations in November, will maintain its management elections on Jan. 23. Chairman Drew Gattine, who was elected to a seat within the Home, introduced that he plans to step down on the finish of his time period as get together chief.

Bev Uhlenhake, who’s now vice chair of the state get together, has introduced her candidacy for the highest management publish.

The state get together chairs work primarily behind-the-scenes overseeing their statewide organizations, serving to to form the events’ priorities and messaging and hiring the manager administrators.

Kouzounas, who has served as Republican get together chairwoman since 2017, declined an interview request however confirmed in a written assertion that she is operating for a fourth — and closing — time period as get together chairwoman. She additionally has proposed making a succession committee to “guarantee a seamless {and professional} transition” to a brand new chair after the subsequent normal election.

“As I’ve informed many individuals, my biggest concern and prime precedence is making certain that the state get together continues as an expert group that is ready to fund and execute key operations that each one Republican candidates, from faculty board to president, depend on,” she stated. “My expertise in main the get together has resulted in file ranges of funding and fundraising, and I intend to proceed rising our donor base, applications and grassroots for the long-term success of the get together and in the end, for the nice of our state.”

A celebration spokesperson stated, if reelected, Kouzounas plans to step down from her dental follow and give attention to the state get together full time.

Kouzounas’ written assertion didn’t tackle the November election, when Democrats gained the governor’s race and a majority of seats in each the Maine Home and Senate.

“As a state get together, we construct the operations that assist our candidates,” she stated. “Whereas some candidates are profitable and a few should not, we should proceed the work to construct the perfect machine attainable to assist their campaigns, not fall backward into the mindset and techniques of the previous.”

The management choice comes as Republicans in Maine and nationwide are regrouping from the midterm elections, when the get together was anticipated to have an edge over Democrats. The get together answerable for the White Home normally loses seats in Congress and on the state stage throughout midterm elections. That pattern, coupled with traditionally excessive inflation, triggered many pundits to foretell a purple wave for Republicans that by no means got here. In Maine, Democrats held onto the governor’s workplace and majority management of each homes of the Legislature.

Republicans in any respect ranges have referred to as for extra self analysis after the elections. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who has represented the state within the U.S. Senate since 1997, stated the nationwide get together has misplaced many reasonable and unbiased voters and wishes “to take a tough take a look at why.”

Mark Brewer, a professor and chair of the political science division on the College of Maine in Orono, stated it will be uncommon for Kouzounas to be elected to a fourth time period, particularly after one other disappointing election cycle that was speculated to favor their get together.

Brewer famous that Republicans have misplaced the final two gubernatorial elections. However, he stated, “perhaps much more disappointing is the legislative consequence. Republicans and loads of exterior observers thought they have been going to get one, if not each, of those chambers again they usually did not,” Brewer stated. “As an outsider wanting in, given the outcomes of the previous couple of cycles, I’d favor change and what that change would appear like could be up for debate.”

Brewer stated the get together itself appears unsettled about which path to go, pointing to the primary vote on the $473 million heating and vitality help invoice Dec. 7. The invoice was overwhelmingly supported by Home Republicans however blocked by Senate Republicans.

Whereas the race for management is underway, some Republicans additionally need to change the conservative get together platform adopted final summer season. It defines marriage as between a person and a ladies and opposes abortion, instructing intercourse training at school and serving to asylum seekers.

Stephanie Anderson, a former district legal professional who chairs the Cumberland County Republican Committee, stated she plans to hunt a seat on the get together’s platform committee. Anderson stated she believes the platform has turn out to be a legal responsibility for some candidates.

“I believe we have to pivot on some instructions,” stated Anderson, who additionally believes the get together underestimated the function abortion would play within the November election.

Anderson pointed to the plank that defines marriage as between a person and a lady for example of one thing that wants altering. “We have now not had a optimistic, compassionate message,” Anderson stated. “That has been misplaced in the entire screaming. And I believe GOP may be very optimistic and compassionate. That is how the messaging will be modified.”

Stetkis, a 56-year-old who simply completed his fourth time period within the Home, stated he would depart considerations in regards to the platform for others to handle and would not suppose many Republicans pay a lot consideration to the assertion of values authorized on the state get together conference.

Stetkis stated he would not suppose there’s “one particular cause” why Republicans didn’t carry out higher final fall. However he harassed the significance of discovering the best candidates for workplace.

“I labored on a number of campaigns in numerous elements of the state and we had unbelievable success in some areas of the state and in different elements of the state have been dismal and there’s no rhyme or cause to it,” he stated.