Maine gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 12 Republican primary)

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Governor of Maine
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 15, 2018
Primary: June 12, 2018
General: November 6, 2018

Pre-election incumbent(s):
Paul LePage (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Maine
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Tilt Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Maine
executive elections
Governor

Businessman Shawn Moody (R) won the June 12 Republican primary with 52.6 percent of the vote. His closest opponent was state Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason (R) with 21.2 percent of the vote.

The race for the Republican Party of Maine's gubernatorial nomination was defined by the legacy of term-limited Gov. Paul LePage (R). All four candidates "seek to represent themselves as LePage’s heir...None follow LePage’s style, but all will be running as continuations of what he’s done in office," according to University of Maine political science professor James Melcher.[1]

Businessman Shawn Moody (R) ran on what he argued were the similarities between his own background and those of LePage and President Trump (R): "When you look at Governor LePage, he’s an outsider. He’s a businessman... President Trump is an outsider, businessman. I’m an outsider. I’m a businessman," said Moody at a candidate debate.[2] Moody counted LePage's daughter Lauren among his campaign staff and was endorsed by LePage's wife Ann at the Republican convention in May.[1]

Former Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew (R) emphasized her experience managing the department in her run, arguing that she was the candidate best-suited to reducing the scale of the state's government.[3] Her endorsements included former Rep. Newt Gingrich (R) and 28 members of the state Legislature.[2]

State Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason (R) pointed to his support for the governor's policies in the state Legislature while promising a different style of governing: "You can stand by your solid, conservative principles, but you can also sit down with the other side and listen to them...I think if you ask around the Legislature about how I do things, everybody knows that they can sit at my table any time. It doesn’t mean that I will agree with them, but their voice will be heard."[2] He was backed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R).[4]

State House Minority Leader Ken Fredette (R), like Mason, touted his support for the governor's policy agenda during his time in the legislature. Fredette emphasized his rural Maine upbringing in his campaign.[5][2] He was backed by Sen. Marco Rubio (R).[6]

Maine's gubernatorial primary was the first to use ranked-choice voting following the approval of the Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative in 2016. Under ranked-choice voting, rather than voting for a single candidate, voters rank candidates based on their preferences. When votes are counted, if one candidate is the first choice of a majority of voters they win the election. Otherwise, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated and a second round of counting begins with that candidates' voters' second choices receiving their votes instead. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.



Candidates and election results

See also: Statistics on gubernatorial candidates, 2018

Shawn Moody defeated Garrett Mason, Mary Mayhew, and Kenneth Fredette in the Republican primary for Governor of Maine on June 12, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican Primary for Governor of Maine

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Shawn Moody in round 1 .


Total votes: 94,382
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Race ratings: Maine gubernatorial election, 2018
Race tracker Race ratings
November 5, 2018 October 30, 2018October 23, 2018October 16, 2018
The Cook Political Report Toss-up Toss-upToss-upToss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales Tilt Democratic Tilt DemocraticTilt DemocraticTilt Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball Toss-up Toss-upToss-upToss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.


Campaign finance

Following are campaign finance figures obtained from the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics & Election Practices containing information on all contributions to and expenditures by candidates as of December 31, 2017.[7]

Maine Clean Elections Act

The Maine Clean Elections Act is Maine's optional public financing program for political campaigns. Gubernatorial candidates participating in the program are allowed to solicit up to $200,000 in seed money contributions, which must be donated by individuals and cannot exceed more than $100 per donor. Participating candidates are also required to solicit at least 3,200 contributions of $5 or more to the MCEA's fund, known as qualifying contributions. In order to receive financing from the MCEA fund, candidates were required to file the required paperwork with proof of 3,200 qualifying contributions before October 16, 2018. Once a candidate has submitted their paperwork, they are no longer allowed to collect additional seed money contributions. Candidates may receive additional payouts from the fund by submitting proof of additional qualifying contributions. Each candidate could collect up to four payments of $150,000 each before May 22, 2018, in exchange for 800 qualifying contributions per payment, and an additional eight payments of $175,000 each could be collected before October 16, 2018, in exchange for 1,200 qualifying contributions per payment.[8]

Context of the 2018 election

  • Heading into the 2018 election, the sitting governor was Paul LePage (R), who was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. LePage was prevented by term limits from running in 2018.
  • As of the 2018 election, Maine was under divided government. It had held this status since 2013, when Democrats gained a majority in the Maine House of Representatives. It was also under divided triplex control.
  • Maine was won by the Democratic candidate in each of the past five presidential elections. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 17 percent margin in 2008 while the narrowest was Hillary Clinton's three percent margin in 2016.
  • Maine was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Governor of Maine, 2018 Republican primary
Poll Shawn Moody (R) Mary Mayhew (R)Garrett Mason (R)Ken Fredette (R)Undecided/OtherMargin of errorSample size
SurveyUSA
(April 26 - May 1, 2018)
34%19%15%10%22%+/-4.8546
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Endorsements

Republican candidate endorsements
Endorsement Date Fredette Mason Mayhew Moody
Federal officials
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)[9] March 7, 2018
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)[10] December 27, 2017
State figures
First Lady Ann LePage[11] May 5, 2018
State Sen. Brian Langley (R)[12] November 30, 2017
State figures
State Rep. Gary Hilliard (R)[13] October 6, 2017
State Rep. Beth O'Connor (R)[14] October 3, 2017
State Rep. Stedman Seavey (R)[15] September 29, 2017
State Rep. Mike Perkins (R)[16] September 29, 2017
State Rep. Garrel Craig (R)[17] September 28, 2017
State Rep. Dick Campbell (R)[18] September 25, 2017
State Rep. Jeffrey Pierce (R)[19] September 22, 2017
State Rep. Deborah Sanderson (R)[20] September 20, 2017
State Rep. Dick Bradstreet (R)[21] September 14, 2017
State Rep. Paul Chace (R)[22] September 14, 2017
Local figures
Former Lewiston Mayor Bob Macdonald (R)[23] May 10, 2018

Past elections

2014

See also: Maine gubernatorial election, 2014

Paul LePage ran for re-election as governor of Maine in the 2014 elections. LePage was unopposed in the Republican primary.[24]

Ranked-choice voting

On November 8, 2016, Maine voters approved the Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative, which provided for the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in both primary and general elections for United States senators, United States representatives, the governor, state senators, and state representatives. On February 2, 2017, the Maine State Senate voted 24 to 10 to ask the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to review the initiative and issue an advisory opinion on its constitutionality. On May 23, 2017, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court issued a unanimous advisory opinion finding that the law's provisions applying to general elections for state legislators and the governor violated the state constitution.[25][26][27][28]

A repeal bill introduced in light of the advisory opinion failed to clear the legislature, as did a bill providing for partial implementation (for those offices not affected by the advisory opinion) and a bill providing for a constitutional amendment to allow for full implementation. During a special legislative session convened on October 23, 2017, the state legislature approved LD 1646, a bill delaying the implementation of RCV pending voter approval of a constitutional amendment to allow for the use of RCV. The bill set a deadline of December 1, 2021, and provided for the repeal of ranked-choice voting if an amendment was not passed by that date. RCV proponents initiated a veto referendum campaign to overturn the bill. On March 5, 2018, the secretary of state announced that a sufficient number of valid signatures had been submitted to place the referendum on the June 12, 2018, primary election ballot, meaning that LD 1646 would be suspended and ranked-choice voting would be used for federal and state offices in the June 2018 primary election. If LD 1646 is repealed as a result of the veto referendum, RCV will remain in place unless the legislature or the courts take actions to change the statute. If LD 1646 is upheld, the law's provisions as described above will take effect.[29][30][31][32][33][34]

On March 29, 2018, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap (D) announced that he had been notified by Assistant Attorney General Phyllis Gardiner of "legal concerns regarding the implementation of ranked-choice voting" that might prohibit its use in the June 2018 primary election. On April 3, 2018, Kennebec County Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy issued an opinion in Committee for Ranked-Choice Voting v. Dunlap ordering state officials to proceed with the implementation of ranked-choice voting in June. Murphy wrote the following in her opinion: "The uncertainty that halting the ranked-choice voting implementation process at this late date causes is significant. Clarity, stability and public confidence are essential to ensure the legitimacy of Maine elections." In a separate lawsuit, Senate of Maine v. Dunlap, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously that "ranked-choice voting is the current statutory law of Maine for the primary elections to be held on June 12, 2018." The court noted that its ruling "focuses only on the June 2018 primary election; it does not address any other potential application of ranked-choice voting in Maine," allowing for the possibility of further substantive challenges to the law's validity in future elections.[35][36][37][38]

Legal challenges to ranked-choice voting

See also: Maine ranked-choice voting lawsuit (2018)

Committee for Ranked-Choice Voting v. Dunlap

On February 16, 2018, eight candidates for political office in Maine sued Secretary of State Matt Dunlap (D) in Kennebec County Superior Court to implement ranked-choice voting for the primary election on June 12, 2018. The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting, which backed both the initiative to enact ranked-choice voting in 2016 and the veto referendum to keep ranked-choice voting in effect in 2018, announced the lawsuit. Dick Woodbury, chairman of the committee, said ranked-choice voting “is the law and it must be implemented now to ensure the validity of the upcoming primaries.” The plaintiffs indicated that Dunlap’s inaction on implementing the voting system left them “guessing which method of election will decide their respective races.”[39]

Dunlap responded to the lawsuit, calling the action premature. He said, “The accusations that we are not doing anything are completely groundless. It’s very disappointing that they would take this action now. … We’re in the middle of certifying the petitions. Assuming they have gotten the signatures, we are going to be moving forward [with ranked-choice voting.] If we move forward, the lawsuit will be moot.”[39] On March 5, 2018, Dunlap certified the veto referendum and said ranked-choice voting would go into effect for the primaries on June 12, 2018.

The veto referendum was certified on March 5, 2018.

On March 29, 2018, Dunlap announced that he had been notified by Assistant Attorney General Phyllis Gardiner of "legal concerns regarding the implementation of ranked-choice voting" that might prohibit its use in the June 2018 primary election. A press release from Dunlap's office noted the following particular concern:[40][36]

The section of law in question states that 'in a primary election held before December 1, 2021, the person who receives a plurality of the votes cast for nomination to any office, as long as there is at least one vote cast for that office, is nominated for that office.' Ranked-choice voting determines a winner based on the majority of votes, rather than a plurality of the votes. A previous amendment to the law had changed this section to align with ranked-choice voting, but it was struck in later amendments.[41]

Dunlap told the legislature's Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee that he believed lawmakers should adopt legislation to address this issue: "It is our intention to continue on with the implementation schedule laid out because we do not have time to do anything else, but I do bring this to the Legislature as a real conflict that could be challenged [in court]. I do not presuppose the outcome of that challenge. And I do not agree that we should just leave it to a challenge and see where the chips fall. I think it needs to be addressed."[36]

On April 4, 2018, Judge Michaela Murphy ordered Secretary of State Dunlap to implement ranked-choice voting for the primary election on June 12, 2018.[42] Judge Murphy said, "The uncertainty that halting the ranked-choice voting implementation process at this late date is significant. Clarity, stability and public confidence are essential to ensure the legitimacy of Maine elections."[43]

Senate of Maine v. Dunlap

On April 4, 2018, the Maine State Senate filed suit in Kennebec County Superior Court requesting that the court "issue a preliminary injunction and, upon further consideration, a permanent injunction barring the Secretary of State from committing and expending public funds of the State of Maine for the development, implementation, and administration of Ranked-Choice Voting in the June 12, 2018 primary elections and all other elections unless and until such time as the legislative authority of Maine appropriates public funds for that purpose."[44]

On April 11, 2018, Kennebec County Superior Court Judge Michaela Murphy said that she would transmit the case to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, which scheduled a hearing on April 12, 2018.[45] On April 17, 2018, the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled that RCV would be used in the election on June 12, 2018. The court's ruling said that if the court blocked RCV for the election, it would be a violation of the separation of powers. The ruling stated, "We are not persuaded by the suggestion that the logistics of implementing ranked-choice voting create a constitutional crisis sufficient for us to ignore the separation of powers problems inherent in these circumstances."[46]

Maine Republican Party v. Dunlap

On May 4, 2018, the Republican Party of Maine filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, asking that the court bar state officials from implementing ranked-choice voting in the June 12, 2018, primary election and subsequent primaries. In the court filing, attorneys for state Republicans alleged that Maine's ranked-choice voting law "severely burdens the Party's right to freedom of association under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution ... [by requiring] the Party to change the process which the Party has deemed most appropriate for selecting candidates to represent the Party's beliefs and messages." A hearing, with Judge Jon Levy presiding, was scheduled for May 23, 2018.[47][48]

Jason Savage, executive director of the Republican Party of Maine, said, "We feel the case law and precedent are clear, and that forcing Republicans to change the way we nominate our candidates is a clear violation of our First Amendment rights. We hope the court will expedite our request and act quickly to protect our right to select our nominee the way we choose." Scott Ogden, a spokesman for the Democratic Party of Maine, said, "The Maine Democratic Party has every intention of following the law and respecting the will of Maine people, who have said repeatedly that they want to elect their leaders through ranked choice voting. We’re disappointed that the Maine Republican Party thinks they know better than the majority of Mainers."[49]

On May 29, 2018, Judge Levy dismissed the request for an injunction against the use of ranked-choice voting in the Republican Party’s primaries.[50]


Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Maine utilizes a semi-closed primary process, in which both registered party members and unaffiliated voters may participate. Unaffiliated voters may vote in one partisan primary of their choosing in each election.[51][52]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Maine, municipalities with a population of 500 or more open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., while municipalities with a population of less than 500 open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. All polls close at 8:00 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[53]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Maine, one must be "a United States citizen, at least 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, and have established a fixed principal home in Maine. To vote in a Referendum or General Election, you must be registered in the community where you reside, and be at least 18 years of age. A 17 year old may vote in a Primary Election, if that person will be 18 by the General Election."[54]

Voters can return completed registration cards in person or by mail to their town office or city hall, any Motor Vehicle branch office, most state & federal social service agencies, or a voter registration drive. There is no deadline for voter registration if completed in person. If registering by mail, the deadline is 21 days prior to the election.[54]

When registering for the first time in Maine, voters must provide documents verifying their identity and residence. The following documents are acceptable identification for the purpose of registering to vote:

  • Government ID with a photo (i.e. driver’s license, State ID, valid U.S. Passport, military ID, ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe)
  • Government ID without photo (i.e. certified birth certificate or signed Social Security card)
  • Other official document showing the name and address of voter (i.e. eligibility for public benefits, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck)
  • Student photo ID from a state-approved public or private school or institute of higher education in Maine
  • Maine driver’s license number or last four digits of Social Security Number[54]

Automatic registration

On June 19, 2019, Gov. Janet Mills signed an automatic voter registration bill into law that was scheduled for implementation in 2022. The law registers voters through the Department of Motor Vehicles.[55]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Maine has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Governor Janet T. Mills (D) signed L.D. 126 into law on July 9, 2021, allowing online voter registration in Maine. This legislation went into effect on November 1, 2023.[56]

Same-day registration

Maine allows same-day voter registration.[54][57]

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Maine, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Maine does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Voter ID requirements

Maine does not require voters to present identification while voting. If a voter registers to vote on Election Day, he or she must provide identification and proof of residence.[58]

Early voting

Maine permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.


Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Maine. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[59]

To vote absentee, an application must be received by election officials no earlier than three months prior to the election and no later than the third business day before the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be received by election officials by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.[59]


State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Maine heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

  • Following the 2016 elections, an independent held one U.S. Senate seat and a Republican held the other.
  • A Democrat held one of Maine's two U.S. House seats, and a Republican held the other.

State executives

  • As of September 2018, Democrats held two of 10 state executive positions, a Republican and an independent each held one, and the remaining positions were officially nonpartisan.
  • The governor of Maine was Republican Paul LePage. The state held an election for governor on November 6, 2018. Maine does not have a lieutenant governor.

State legislature

  • Democrats controlled the state House. They had a 73-70 majority in the state House. Republicans control the Maine State Senate. They had an 18-17 majority in the chamber.

Trifecta status

  • Maine was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Paul LePage (R) served as governor and Republicans controlled the state Senate while Democrats controlled the state House.

2018 elections

See also: Maine elections, 2018

Maine held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Maine
 MaineU.S.
Total population:1,329,453316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):30,8433,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:95%73.6%
Black/African American:1.1%12.6%
Asian:1.1%5.1%
Native American:0.6%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:1.5%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:91.6%86.7%
College graduation rate:29%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$49,331$53,889
Persons below poverty level:16.6%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Maine.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Maine's three largest cities were Portland (pop. est. 65,000), Lewiston (pop. est. 35,000), and Bangor (pop. est. 30,000).[60]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Maine from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Maine Secretary of State and the Federal Election Commission.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Maine every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Maine 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 47.8% Republican Party Donald Trump 44.9% 2.9%
2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 56.3% Republican Party Mitt Romney 41.0% 15.3%
2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 57.7% Republican Party John McCain 40.4% 17.3%
2004 Democratic Party John Kerry 53.6% Republican Party George W. Bush 44.6% 9.0%
2000 Democratic Party Al Gore 49.1% Republican Party George W. Bush 44.0% 5.1%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Maine from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Maine 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Republican Party Susan Collins 67.0% Democratic Party Shenna Bellows 30.8% 36.2%
2012 Grey.png Angus King 51.1% Republican Party Charles Summers 29.7% 21.4%
2008 Republican Party Susan Collins 61.3% Democratic Party Thomas H. Allen 38.6% 22.7%
2006 Republican Party Olympia Snowe 74.0% Democratic Party Jean Hay Bright 20.6% 53.4%
2002 Republican Party Susan Collins 58.4% Democratic Party Chellie Pingree 41.6% 16.8%
2000 Republican Party Olympia Snowe 68.9% Democratic Party Mark Lawrence 31.1% 37.8%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Maine.

Election results (Governor), Maine 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Republican Party Paul LePage 48.2% Democratic Party Mike Michaud 43.4% 4.8%
2010 Republican Party Paul LePage 37.6% Grey.png Eliot Cutler 35.9% 1.7%
2006 Democratic Party John E. Baldacci 38.1% Republican Party Chandler E. Woodcock 30.2% 7.9%
2002 Democratic Party John E. Baldacci 47.1% Republican Party Peter E. Cianchette 41.5% 5.6%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Maine in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Maine 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 1 50.0% Democratic Party 1 50.0% Even
2014 Republican Party 1 50.0% Democratic Party 1 50.0% Even
2012 Republican Party 0 0% Democratic Party 2 100% D+2
2010 Republican Party 0 0% Democratic Party 2 100% D+2
2008 Republican Party 0 0% Democratic Party 2 100% D+2
2006 Republican Party 0 0% Democratic Party 2 100% D+2
2004 Republican Party 0 0% Democratic Party 2 100% D+2
2002 Republican Party 0 0% Democratic Party 2 100% D+2
2000 Republican Party 0 0% Democratic Party 2 100% D+2

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Maine Party Control: 1992-2024
Fourteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor R R R I I I I I I I I D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D
Senate D D D R R D D D D S S D D D D D D D D R R D D R R R R D D D D D D
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Eight of 16 Maine counties—50 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Androscoggin County, Maine 9.38% 12.78% 15.22%
Aroostook County, Maine 17.19% 7.62% 9.58%
Franklin County, Maine 5.47% 18.41% 20.29%
Kennebec County, Maine 3.58% 13.46% 14.78%
Oxford County, Maine 12.94% 14.73% 16.04%
Penobscot County, Maine 10.91% 2.93% 5.12%
Somerset County, Maine 22.67% 1.68% 5.70%
Washington County, Maine 18.44% 1.60% 1.01%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Maine with 47.8 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.9 percent. In 2016, Maine had four electoral votes. Maine's share of electoral votes represented 0.7 percent of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs in the general election and 1.5 percent of the 270 votes needed to be elected president. Maine awards its electoral votes by congressional district and the popular vote. It has two electoral votes for the statewide vote and one for each of its two congressional districts. In presidential elections between 1820 and 2016, Maine voted Republican 67.3 percent of the time and Democratic 32.6 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Maine voted Democratic all five times.[61]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Maine. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[62][63]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 129 out of 151 state House districts in Maine with an average margin of victory of 19.2 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 69 out of 151 state House districts in Maine with an average margin of victory of 23.7 points. Clinton won nine districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 22 out of 151 state House districts in Maine with an average margin of victory of 8.7 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 82 out of 151 state House districts in Maine with an average margin of victory of 16 points. Trump won 17 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Maine governor Republican primary 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

Maine government:

Elections:

Ballotpedia exclusives:

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Portland Press Herald, "With Republican gubernatorial candidates unified on policy, vote will turn on personality," May 27, 2018
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Free Press, "Republican Candidates Compete to Out-LePage Each Other," May 24, 2018
  3. Maine Public, "Primary Election Profile: Mary Mayhew," May 31, 2018
  4. Sun Journal, "Texas Sen. Ted Cruz backs Mason for Maine governor," March 7, 2018
  5. Ken Fredette for Governor, "Home," accessed May 31, 2018
  6. Twitter, "Ken Fredette," December 27, 2017
  7. Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics & Election Practices, "Quick Candidate List," accessed January 22, 2018
  8. Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, "The Maine Clean Election Act," accessed January 22, 2018
  9. Twitter, "Garrett Mason," March 7, 2018
  10. Twitter, "Ken Fredette," December 27, 2017
  11. Twitter, "Ray Richardson," accessed May 5, 2018
  12. '"Facebook, "Garrett Mason," November 30, 2017
  13. Mary Mayhew for Maine, "Rep. Gary Hilliard Endorses Mary Mayhew For Governor," October 6, 2017
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  41. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  42. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named judge1
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