ME: Independents Gaining Traction

[Pennsylvania Deplorable]

The GOP would probably do better if they just adopt a socially accepting, but not nessecarily socially liberal tone, as well as a more moderate position on immigration.

Trump won because of immigration. Every single exit poll showed him winning voters who listed it as their top concern almost 2 to 1. If he passes amnesty or fails to start building the wall, he's toast in 2020. The notion that allowing in more immigrants and passing amnesty would help the GOP is absolutely ridiculous. If Reagan had taken the Coulter/Buchanan/Bannon approach to immigration, the GOP wouldn't be in this mess where demographics threaten to flip half the sunbelt.

[Horsemask]

I love this race. So many candidates!

I'm still wrapping my head around the Moody/LePage news. I understand running the "Augusta sucks because of the political class" type of campaign -- and trust me, he's doing that -- but Moody is so unlike LePage in temperament. He's down to Earth, personable, easy to talk to. Not 100% bluster like LePage.

It worries me that he'd be tied so close to the Governor. But I'll wait for more before making a decision on him. I think for right now, if I HAD to vote for a Republican, my preferred choice would be Thibodeau.

What are your thoughts on the Democratic candidates?

My thoughts are that I have a hard time believing that the nominee would be anyone other than Janet Mills. Then again, with so many candidates running, who knows. There is no one on the Democratic side that really speaks to me, but if it were down to Mills vs. Fredette/Mayhew/Mason, I'd vote for Mills.

[Horsemask]

John Jenkins sounds amazing. I’d like to see him and Hayes reach some agreement, though, where maybe she runs for the House and endorsed him.

Hayes is a much, much stronger general election candidate than the motivational speaker and ex-body builder.

I don't necessarily disagree, but just to discount Jenkins as a motivational speaker and ex-body builder is a little low. The guy has served as mayor of both Lewiston and Auburn, and served a term in the State Senate. He has experience.

[GoldenMainer]

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/rep-chellie-pingree-says-shes-seriously-considering-running-for-governor/496673023

Well, this is interesting...

[Horsemask]

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/rep-chellie-pingree-says-shes-seriously-considering-running-for-governor/496673023

Well, this is interesting...

She would tank badly in the 2nd district.

[MAINEiac4434]

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/rep-chellie-pingree-says-shes-seriously-considering-running-for-governor/496673023

Well, this is interesting...

She would tank badly in the 2nd district.

Yup. And Hayes would sweep up enough of the moderate and left-leaning vote to give us Governor Mayhew or something.

[Young Conservative]

I think this race is lean R. Purely because of Terry Hayes and a stronger GOP field than a Democratic one.

[MAINEiac4434]

I think this race is lean R. Purely because of Terry Hayes and a stronger GOP field than a Democratic one.

Not sure it's stronger than the Dem field...Mayhew is the most likely candidate to emerge and she has low approval ratings, Mason is young and associated with the alt-right, Fredette is a dumbass, Thibodeau has no personality. The only one who makes it lean R would be Moody.

[Pandaguineapig]

I think this race is lean R. Purely because of Terry Hayes and a stronger GOP field than a Democratic one.

Not sure it's stronger than the Dem field...Mayhew is the most likely candidate to emerge and she has low approval ratings, Mason is young and associated with the alt-right, Fredette is a dumbass, Thibodeau has no personality. The only one who makes it lean R would be Moody.

1. I'm just curious of what links Mason has to the alt-right given I couldn't find anything from a Google search (not necessarily doubting you, just wonder if you have any links)
2. Mayhew is probably the front-runner but I think Moody might have a shot if he self-funds as he is the only candidate from the 1st district half of the state

[MAINEiac4434]

I believe he’s the only candidate who openly supported Trump during the primaries.

[Ye We Can]

I love Maine politics. Only election I know of where practically everyone in the primaries + independents have realistic chances of winning.

[MAINEiac4434]

I love Maine politics. Only election I know of where practically everyone in the primaries + independents have realistic chances of winning.

It can be quite stressful, though. And our Senate races are boring.

[Sestak]

I love Maine politics. Only election I know of where practically everyone in the primaries + independents have realistic chances of winning.

It can be quite stressful, though. And our Senate races are boring.

BECAUSE YOU GUYS ACTUALLY HAVE GOOD SENATORS!! STOP COMPLAINING!!

[Free Bird]

I love Maine politics. Only election I know of where practically everyone in the primaries + independents have realistic chances of winning.

It can be quite stressful, though. And our Senate races are boring.

This. As much as I love Collins, I can't wait for a Senate race to be genuinely open and not involve one of the invincible 90s old guard.

[Free Bird]

To those saying Collins will be Castled, I must ask, by who exactly? Brakey is blowing it all on some weird attempt to take on King, Poliquin is a Bennett and therefore Collins loyalist and seems happy in the House, Andrew Ian Dodge is dead, and Fredette, Mayhew, Mason, and Thibodeau are all duking it out for governor next year, and are also all quite moderate, so they wouldn't lose the seat by swinging far to the right with moral wedge issues like you're hoping. The implication of being Castled is being primaried by a Tea Party type, and those just don't exist in Maine that have a realistic chance of getting the resources to take out Collins. The only real one is LePage who seems to want to retire in 2019. All his Senate talk is probably hot air.

[MAINEiac4434]

Completely missed this, but:
Former Bangor Mayor and current City Councillor Sean Faircloth announced a campaign for Governor a week before Christmas. Really poor timing.

Faircloth is mostly noted for his radical atheism (his photo is included in the "Atheists and Agnostic" section of the Factions of the Democratic Party Wikipedia page). He joins Betsy Sweet and Terry Hayes as the three major candidates running clean elections campaigns.

Faircloth is a progressive troll. He wrote the 2014 book Attack of the Theocrats, a veritable tome for the Reddit Atheist crowd.

Can Faircloth win? In a primary that will be this divided, absolutely. I think he'd have trouble in a general election, though.

[MAINEiac4434]

Emily's List has unsurprisingly but disappointingly endorsed Janet Mills

https://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/31/mills-campaign-for-governor-secures-endorsement-from-emilys-list/

[henster]

What is the deal with Adam Cote I have read up on him and he looks like the strongest Dem candidate?

[GoldenMainer]

Emily's List has unsurprisingly but disappointingly endorsed Janet Mills

https://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/31/mills-campaign-for-governor-secures-endorsement-from-emilys-list/

Do you have anyone you're pulling for? I'm underwhelmed with the choices thus far.

[MAINEiac4434]

Emily's List has unsurprisingly but disappointingly endorsed Janet Mills

https://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/31/mills-campaign-for-governor-secures-endorsement-from-emilys-list/

Do you have anyone you're pulling for? I'm underwhelmed with the choices thus far.

Betsy Sweet, who has no chance. I like Hayes more than I liked Cutler. If it’s Mills for the Dems I’ll provably bite the bullet for Hayes unless she’s polling below 25.

[MAINEiac4434]

What is the deal with Adam Cote I have read up on him and he looks like the strongest Dem candidate?

He’s the most moderate, which would have the base of the party fleeing to Hayes and the Green. His background looks strong but he’s never been in politics before. I’m not comfortable with non-politicians in chief executive roles.

[Horsemask]

Jim Boyle and Sean Faircloth are out. Faircloth announced his endorsement of Mark Eves; Boyle has not endorsed anyone.

It is expected more will drop out March 15th, which is the deadline for signatures to qualify for the primary ballot.

[MAINEiac4434]

Jim Boyle and Sean Faircloth are out. Faircloth announced his endorsement of Mark Eves; Boyle has not endorsed anyone.

It is expected more will drop out March 15th, which is the deadline for signatures to qualify for the primary ballot.

Unsurprising about both; Faircloth only entered in December, and Boyle was gaining no traction.

[Free Bird]

So, what's everyone think the matchup will be?
My money is on Mayhew vs. Mills

[MAINEiac4434]

All major candidates save Moody (and including the recently withdrawn Faircloth) weighed in on five proposed gun control measures:

https://www.pressherald.com/2018/02/25/candidates-for-governor-weigh-in-on-gun-reform/

The Democrats were Democrats and the Republicans were Republicans on the issue. Only Mills had anything interesting to say on the issue, defying liberal orthodoxy on gun control, no doubt already pivoting to the general election.

Independent Alan Caron sided with the Democrats on everything except gun free school zones (a bizarre place to break with the Dems, especially in light of Parkland), while Hayes had a brain fart and could only answer “probably” to 4 of the 5 questions. Not a good look; she appears indecisive and uninformed on the issues.