Maine
Maine Republicans openly talk about dumping Donald Trump
AUGUSTA, Maine — Earlier this 12 months, former state Rep. Corey Wilson approached the door of a voter who epitomized the precise kind he wanted to return to the Maine Legislature.
Just like the candidate, the person was a navy veteran. He left the Republican Social gathering after Donald Trump turned president. The person informed Wilson he knew all of his stances on main points they usually agreed on all of them, however he had made a pact to vote in opposition to all Republicans in 2022.
“I’ll vote for you subsequent cycle, however not this time,” Wilson recounted the person saying. “I need to ship a message.”
Wilson misplaced a swing Home district in Winthrop and Readfield to Rep. Tavis Hasenfus, D-Winthrop, in an end result that summed up an important election for Democrats in Maine final week. Gov. Janet Mills routed former Gov. Paul LePage, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of the 2nd District will maintain his seat and Democrats stored the Legislature after many predicted massive Republican positive factors.
The outcomes had been placing as a result of Democrats held serve throughout a midterm election for the unpopular President Joe Biden at a time of excessive inflation. It got here underneath the shadow of Trump’s suggestion that he might declare a 3rd presidential run on Tuesday. Each that and the outcomes have Maine Republicans rethinking their commonplace bearers.
Republicans had wager closely that the roiled economic system would elevate them to victory and a nationwide exit ballot led by the Related Press confirmed that it was the highest difficulty on voters’ minds, though practically as many mentioned the way forward for democracy was prime of thoughts after Trump and different celebration members falsely claimed that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Wilson, who was elected to 1 Home time period representing half of Augusta in 2012 however didn’t run for reelection and now lives in Readfield, is an atypical Republican. He championed gun-rights causes within the State Home. He additionally bucked LePage to help Medicaid enlargement. Whereas he’s personally anti-abortion, he helps abortion rights on the grounds of private freedom.
He received many personal messages from voters asking about his place on that difficulty after the U.S. Supreme Court docket overturned Roe v. Wade in June. The candidate attributed Tuesday’s outcomes to a “silent majority” of voters that included many in the midst of the citizens turned off by consensus Republican social positions and Trump-style election denial.
“There was no query that Donald Trump, he brought about a variety of harm,” he mentioned. “I feel that Republicans must get up and notice that the Republican Social gathering, if it’s led by Donald Trump, is not going to go anyplace.”
Republican leaders in Maine have been quiet since Election Day. The state celebration has been “gathering data” and can put collectively an everyday report on strengths and weaknesses, Jason Savage, the chief director, mentioned in a press release.
Neither LePage nor Poliquin has spoken publicly since their election evening gatherings. The previous governor gave a bitter speech to supporters by which he referred to as Mills an elitist and complained that voters prioritized abortion rights over “feeding your households” and heating oil prices.
“I’m telling you I ought to have by no means received into politics,” he mentioned.
There are well-worn parallels between LePage and Trump. LePage likened his fashion to Trump’s when he endorsed him in 2016. He chaired the previous president’s 2020 Maine marketing campaign. However LePage shied away from Trump forward of this election, by no means saying whether or not he thought a 2024 White Home return bid could be a good suggestion.
The subsequent presidential election has hung over dialogue of the election ends in Maine amongst Republicans. Many within the celebration are grateful for Trump’s tenure, however different potential candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may develop on the previous president’s base, Matthew Gagnon, the CEO of the conservative Maine Coverage Institute, mentioned on his WGAN present.
Mills defeated LePage by 13 proportion factors and delivered a shellacking within the rising Portland suburbs that had been essential to previous LePage victories. For instance, he gained Scarborough by 6 factors in 2014. Trump misplaced it by 16 factors in 2016 and 29 factors in 2020. This time, LePage misplaced it by a staggering 33 factors.
“You’ve received to have the ability to discover a approach of marrying that with with the ability to enchantment to a man who lives in Yarmouth, for God sakes,” Gagnon mentioned of Trump’s enchantment to working-class voters.
Maine Republicans will want new commonplace bearers. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is the final high-level elected member of the celebration. She has constantly gained majorities in Maine however was a nonfactor within the election right here, spending final Sunday campaigning in Pennsylvania with Mehmet Oz, the TV physician turned Senate nominee who misplaced to Democrat John Fetterman.
LePage, who’s 74, is mostly anticipated to go away the stage. His strategist, Brent Littlefield, didn’t reply questions on whether or not the one-time Florida resident would proceed to dwell right here or keep engaged with civic life in Maine. Whereas Poliquin goes to a ranked-choice rely with Golden, the incumbent is anticipated to simply prevail. After that, Poliquin could have misplaced 4 of the Maine campaigns that he has run since 2010.
Legislative Republicans are shaking up leaders. Sen. Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, will lead his caucus after Poliquin pushed him out of a 2nd District bid. 5 Home Republicans — Laurel Libby of Auburn, Josh Morris of Turner, Billy Bob Faulkingham of Winter Harbor, Jack Ducharme of Madison and Michael Lemelin of Chelsea — are vying for the highest spot.
The celebration’s figureheads, the messaging and the socially conservative platform must be modified, mentioned former Home Minority Chief Ken Fredette, a lawyer who represented Newport. He likened the celebration’s scenario to an organization bleeding cash.
“We may be witnessing the dying of the Republican Social gathering as we all know it in Maine,” he mentioned.