Maine voters are split about whether their households are better off financially now than one year ago, according to a poll released this week by the University of New Hampshire.
And political affiliation appears to be a big reason why. Among Republicans, 86% said their economic outlook is worse, while only 15% of Democrats felt that way.
The survey of 821 residents conducted online Aug. 15-19 revealed that 49% of overall respondents felt worse about the economy, while 17% felt better and 34% said things were the same. The percentage of respondents who say they feel worse now is 8% smaller than this time last year.
UNH’s poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%, reflects a deep partisan divide over the economy as the November presidential election draws closer.
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Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, said Tuesday that he’s been conducting polls for more than 20 years, and views of the economy seem to increasingly be viewed through through a political lens.
“The out-of-power party thinks the world is going to hell in a handbasket, and the party that controls the White House has a much more positive outlook,” he said.
As with most presidential elections, the economy – and the candidates’ approach to it – will feature prominently in campaign appearances and debates.
Last week, UNH released a poll of Mainers that looked at the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Among those surveyed, 55% said they planned to vote for Harris, compared to 38% for Trump. Harris’ margin has more than doubled in Maine from July to August.
Smith said the poll of presidential preference in Maine was conducted not long after Harris officially became the nominee, so it likely reflected a higher level of enthusiasm among Democrats.
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Nationally, the race remains close, and the outcome will likely come down to battleground states likes Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Maine has four Electoral College votes but is one of only two states that splits its Electoral College votes by congressional district (Nebraska is the other). In 2016 and again in 2020, the Democratic presidential candidate won both the 1st District and the state overall, earning three electoral votes, while Trump won the 2nd District and secured its one electoral vote.
Smith said the recent UNH poll of Mainers shows a stark disconnect between broader economic conditions, which show the country is improving and has generally done well coming out of the pandemic, and more specific factors like grocery prices. Nearly 60% of those surveyed said they have had difficulty affording basic necessities in the last 12 months. For those with an annual household income below $75,000, that increases to 69%.
Respondents cited housing, cost of living, and jobs/economy as the most important problems facing Maine.
And 55% of those polled said they think it’s either very likely or somewhat likely that the U.S. will enter a recession in the 12 months, even though economists largely agree that the country will avoid a recession, which is generally defined as two consecutive quarters of declining gross domestic product. A total of 96% of Republicans said they believe a recession is likely, compared to 39% of Democrats.
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“The economy doesn’t pick friends or enemies,” Smith said. “But for Republicans, the number one issue is going to be the economy because it’s something they can blame on Democrats. And Democrats who may still feel the same pinch may be less likely to say it.”
Asked whether he expects the economic attitudes to shift between now and the election, Smith said it’s possible, but it likely wouldn’t matter because there is often a lag in consumer sentiment. For instance, if the federal reserve reduces interest rates – something Chairman Jerome Powell said was likely last week – it probably wouldn’t affect the race substantially, he said.
Sunday is the first day of September and it’s also the start of the Maine apple season. Here are guides to some outstanding apple orchards and a full list of Maine cider producers to help you plan some fun road-trips this Fall.
The Maine Heirloom Apple Guide is a co-production with the intrepid apple expert Sean Turley at The Righteous Russet (instagram). We hope this provides you with all the information you need to go out for a self-directed exploration of Maine orchards and the many heirloom apples they offer. Use it throughout the fall to go exploring so you can take advantage of the entire season.
The Guide to Maine Cider is a directory to 28 Maine cider producers. They’re located all over the state from Kingfield to Cornish and Portland to Franklin. Stop by cidery tasting rooms like Absolem in Winthrop to or stop in at one of the highlighted retail shops that stock good selections of New England and imported cider.
BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) – Firefighting foam in a hangar at Brunswick Executive Airport has been been removed, and mitigation is underway on four retention ponds following Maine’s biggest accidental spill of the fire suppressant on record, officials said Monday.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention advised the public not to consume or to limit consumption of freshwater fish from four nearby bodies of water following the accidental discharge of firefighting foam containing harmful chemicals known as PFAS.
An investigation is underway into why a fire suppression system discharged Aug. 19 in Hangar 4, releasing 1,450 gallons (5,490 liters) of firefighting foam concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons (190,000 liters) of water at the former Navy base. Federal records show the spill is the biggest accidental discharge in Maine since its recordkeeping began in the 1990s.
Aircraft that were doused are undergoing a final cleaning inside the hangar, and then the hangar will be cleaned for a final time, officials said Monday. Four vacuum trucks were deployed to remove foam from the retention ponds, officials said.
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PFAS are associated with health problems including several types of cancer, and they are found in everything from food packaging to clothing, in addition to firefighting foam. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency, for the first time, proposed limits on the so-called forever chemicals in drinking water.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is overseeing the remediation at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, now known as Brunswick Landing. The base, which officially closed in 2011, had automated fire suppression in large hangars that once housed P-3 Orion patrol aircraft and other planes.
A van rolled over on the Maine Turnpike on Monday morning, spraying nails, construction equipment and power tools across the highway and injuring multiple people.
Maine State Police said troopers responded to a report of a crash on the Maine Turnpike in Ogunquit at 8:12 a.m.
Their initial investigation indicated that the driver of a commercial van was traveling north on the highway when he lost control of the vehicle on wet pavement and rolled over in the median. Debris including roofing nails, construction equipment and power tools were thrown from the van into all three southbound lanes.
A Honda that was driving south on the Maine Turnpike struck some of the construction debris, disabling the vehicle and deploying its airbags, which caused minor injury to the female driver.
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The driver of the van, identified by police as 39-year-old Victor Miguel Cedillo Merchan, of Brockton, Massachusetts, was not injured. There were also four male passengers in the van, three of whom were not wearing seatbelts and were taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital across the border in New Hampshire with what state police said were serious but not life-threatening injuries.
The crash remains under investigation, but police said speed and erratic operation appear to have been factors.
Multiple lanes both southbound and northbound were closed for a time due to the crash and the subsequent investigation and cleanup. All of them have since reopened.
