Shying from Trump, ex-Maine Gov. Paul LePage seeks job back

YARMOUTH, Maine (AP) — When then-Maine Gov. Paul LePage endorsed Donald Trump in 2016, he credited himself as a prototype for the rebel presidential candidate.

“I used to be Donald Trump earlier than Donald Trump grew to become well-liked, so I believe I ought to assist him since we’re one of many similar material,” stated LePage, whose two phrases in workplace have been punctuated by brash habits and continuously offensive feedback.

Now, as LePage is operating for a 3rd time period after a quick retirement to Florida, he hardly ever talks about Trump in public, and his advisers say LePage’s hiatus from politics modified him. He’s keen to point out he’s smoothed over a few of his personal tough edges, although flashes of his fiery persona broke by way of lately at an occasion at a riverfront boatyard in Yarmouth, the place he pledged to tackle Democratic “elitists.”

“I got here from the streets. I used to be a fighter all my life,” LePage advised staff. “I needed to scrimp and save to eat and survive. I’m a fighter.”

As LePage seeks to unseat Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and grow to be the longest-serving governor in Maine historical past, he’s banking on an method acquainted to different Republican candidates in liberal- and moderate-leaning states who’re making an attempt to not alienate swing voters they would wish to win a normal election. LePage’s efforts at placing distancing from Trump are notably notable given LePage as soon as invited comparisons to Trump — and made them himself.

Democrats aren’t going to let voters neglect LePage’s tumultuous time in workplace, when he sometimes acted and sounded lots like Trump. LePage attracted nationwide headlines when he advised the Portland chapter of the NAACP to “kiss my butt,” made racist remarks about drug sellers who impregnate “white” women and accused a lawmaker of screwing over state taxpayers “with out offering Vaseline.”

His critics level to a current marketing campaign occasion during which LePage threatened to “deck” a Democratic staffer who received too near him — an incident, they are saying, that illustrates LePage hasn’t modified in any respect.

The race is shaping as much as be amongst a dozen or so aggressive contests for governor this election yr. The best way during which the marketing campaign performs out with voters weary of political ugliness could also be a harbinger for Trump’s White Home aspirations in 2024.

LePage and Mills’ adversarial relationship goes again years.

Mills, a 74-year-old reasonable and the primary girl elected governor of Maine, is a former two-term legal professional normal whose stint because the state’s prime prosecutor coincided with LePage’s time as governor. The 2 clashed publicly, with Mills declining to symbolize LePage’s administration on some issues, forcing LePage to hunt outdoors counsel to symbolize his pursuits in litigation.

Her supporters painting her as a gradual chief whose cautious COVID-19 insurance policies helped information the state by way of the worst pandemic in a century, with fewer coronavirus deaths per capita than most others. She expanded Medicaid — one thing LePage had blocked — and presided over the most important funds surplus in Maine historical past, which allowed the state to ship $850 reduction checks to most residents.

Raised in poverty and homeless for a time as a boy, LePage, 73, is an unabashed conservative whose previous controversies typically overshadowed his political achievements, reminiscent of decreasing the tax burden, shrinking welfare rolls, overhauling the pension system and paying again hundreds of thousands of {dollars} of hospital debt.

He attacked Mills’ government orders through the pandemic, together with obligatory vaccines for well being care staff, calling it a “reign of terror.” He’s known as for a parental invoice of rights in training, claimed Mill has allowed crime and medicines to proliferate and accused her of budgetary gimmicks that may trigger issues sooner or later. He has promised to attempt once more to get rid of the state’s revenue tax.

When LePage left workplace in 2019, prevented from searching for a 3rd consecutive time period by the Maine Structure, he declared he was decamping for Florida, the place the taxes have been decrease, and leaving politics behind.

He didn’t keep away lengthy. Quickly, he was headed again to Maine for what supporters described as “LePage 2.0.”

LePage’s senior adviser Brent Littlefield stated LePage was astounded when Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and that LePage fears the nation is in peril of tearing itself aside. LePage issued an announcement amid the violence supporting legislation enforcement and telling these concerned within the riot “to go away and go house.”

LePage served as Trump’s honorary state chairman and as soon as sought a job in his administration, however he now gained’t say whether or not he would vote for Trump for president if Trump runs once more in 2024. Regardless of any personal misgivings, nevertheless, LePage hasn’t condemned Trump. He declined an Related Press interview request.

The previous governor made no reference to Trump whereas touring Yankee Marina & Boatyard, regardless that Trump stays well-liked in rural Maine, the place he twice gained an electoral vote whereas shedding the statewide vote.

Boatyard president Deborah Delp stated LePage is required at a time when her staff are affected by excessive inflation and apprehensive in regards to the future.

She stated she will be able to “deal with some tough language” from LePage if he places the financial system on monitor. “Politicians are politicians. And he’s not a politician. He’s a businessman. He says what he thinks,” Delp stated.

Maria Testa, a Democrat from Portland, disagrees. “He’s bombastic and has a merciless mood. He’s such a giant no for me,” Testa stated.

Whereas campaigning, LePage largely tries to avoid Trump’s lies of a rigged 2020 election. LePage acknowledges that Biden is president however declines to deal with whether or not he thinks the election was legit. LePage additionally avoids the problem of abortion after the U.S. Supreme Courtroom overturned the constitutional proper to an abortion.

Mills has pledged to struggle to make sure girls proceed to have a proper to a authorized abortion in Maine.

A 3rd candidate for governor, impartial Sam Hunkler, isn’t anticipated to play a lot of a task within the race, in contrast to deep-pocketed impartial Eliot Cutler, who did in 2010 and 2014, when LePage gained every election with no majority.

Maine’s ranked-choice voting system gained’t be an element. It’s utilized in federal congressional races however not within the governor’s contest as a result of it runs afoul of the Maine Structure.

Betsy Martin, a retired well being care administrator from Biddeford, stated residents are feeling drained by the corrosive partisanship in a rural state with a convention of reasonable politics and impartial voters. Some are tuning out altogether, she stated.

“They’re exhausted. They’re extraordinarily fatigued. We’re worn out,” she stated.

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Comply with David Sharp on Twitter @David_Sharp_AP

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Comply with AP for full protection of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics