ME: LePage running again in 2022

[Terry the Fat Shark]

https://www.wagmtv.com/content/news/WAGM-Exclusive-Former-Maine-Governor-Paul-Lepage-Announces-He-Will-ReRun-For-Maine-Governor--568039661.html?fbclid=IwAR1ZciTeF96cFEfI6b4jlCWB8RAybhO6swCJg8-FapdYOC5jkE3X-yCUBYA

(please merge into Maine megathread)

[President Johnson]

What a clown. Hopefully he goes down in flames.

[Nyvin]

Just retire you old racist fatso.

[Nutmeg]

And with first past the post, he could have a shot, sadly.

[Nyvin]

And with first past the post, he could have a shot, sadly.

Isn't it ranked choice voting?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Safe D

[Nutmeg]

And with first past the post, he could have a shot, sadly.

Isn't it ranked choice voting?

Only for federal races. Maine courts found RCV to be at odds with the state constitution for state and local races.

My understanding is that more recent state legislation implements RCV for non-federal races starting in 2021 for only the primary but not the general election. Of course there could be additional lawsuits or legislation before then.

[Epaminondas]

Critical part of the SoS page:

This amendment applies ranked-choice voting to only primary elections for Congress, Governor, State Senator, and State Representative starting on December 1, 2021.

The bill does not allow ranked-choice voting to be used for general and special elections for the offices of Governor, State Senator, or State Representative unless there is an amendment to the Constitution of Maine

Yet isn't RBV implemented for the 2020 Senate race?

[Oryxslayer]

If that link is to be believed, you're correct.

This amendment applies ranked-choice voting to only primary elections for Congress, Governor, State Senator, and State Representative starting on December 1, 2021.

The bill does not allow ranked-choice voting to be used for general and special elections for the offices of Governor, State Senator, or State Representative unless there is an amendment to the Constitution of Maine

Yet isn't RBV implemented for the 2020 Senate race?

Yes, for federal elections and apparently now primaries, it is implemented. If the Dems have the votes for it, they would try to change the Constitution so that it works for state elections, but that is a hypothetical scenario rather than the present one.

[Epaminondas]

Is that a work in progress or are there political headwinds in the State Senate for such a constitutional change?

Going by the 2018 results, there are definitely 18 safe Dem seats in the 21-14 Senate.

[PAK Man]

Hopefully Mainers are more smart this time around and vote for Mills for reelection. Near as I can tell, she's pretty scandal-free. I obviously don't live in Maine, but I've yet to hear that she's particularly disliked.

[Free Bird]

Hopefully Mainers are more smart this time around and vote for Mills for reelection. Near as I can tell, she's pretty scandal-free. I obviously don't live in Maine, but I've yet to hear that she's particularly disliked.

She isn't disliked but she isn't beloved either, that sort of thing. Depending on who is President it could go either way considering how elastic Maine tends to be. Lean D (closer to Tilt than Likely) with Trump, Tossup with a Democrat.

All I would say is don't underestimate his campaigning skills, especially if it's a Democratic President. I remember 2014. Basically this whole forum wrote him off for dead, his approvals were pretty bleh, but he won by 5 (with pretty high turnout) anyway.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Its Lean D, the minimum wage is making it's way thru ME, VT and NH. That's why Collins is losing and ME has already voted for the popular vote referendum, Lean D

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

He's never won 50% of the vote.

I'd be shocked if he won the GOP primary.

[President Johnson]

He's never won 50% of the vote.

I'd be shocked if he won the GOP primary.

Maine has a strong indepenent leaning, giving candidates outside the two parties a higher than usual vote share. Getting 50% in a three way contest seems to be the exception here, not the rule.

I'm not sure about the primary... Who else is there on the Republican bench that matches his name ID and financial ressources?

[Horsemask]

He's never won 50% of the vote.

I'd be shocked if he won the GOP primary.

Maine has a strong indepenent leaning, giving candidates outside the two parties a higher than usual vote share. Getting 50% in a three way contest seems to be the exception here, not the rule.

I'm not sure about the primary... Who else is there on the Republican bench that matches his name ID and financial ressources?

Bruce Poliquin comes to mind.

[HarrisonL]

Nope. We need a different Republican candidate here. LePage is done.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Collins is gonna lose and Mills is gonna get reelected, ME is a Dem state

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Please, Maine, don't let this piece of sh*t back into government.