Maine Street Solutions – Legislative Update

Election night is now (mostly) in the books. As the night wore on, the blue tide turned into a blue wave and ended as a mini blue tsunami crashing on the Maine shore. More results are still coming in, but here’s what we know about the top of the ticket races:

• Janet Mills (D-Farmington) becomes the first woman to be elected Governor of Maine, garnering nearly 50% of the vote in a four-way race.
• Jared Golden (D-Lewiston) is on the precipice of defeating incumbent Congressman Bruce Poliquin in the Maine’s Second Congressional District. The race is essentially a dead heat, but with Maine’s first-in-the-nation “ranked choice voting” process, the votes of the third-place candidate will be redistributed between Poliquin and Golden based on their second choice votes. Most observers believe Golden will pick up the majority of those votes, handing him the votes he needs to win an outright majority.
• US Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) handily defeated Eric Brakey (R-Auburn) and Democrat Zack Ringelstein, garnering over 50% of the vote in the first ballot
• Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) won nearly 60% of the vote on the first ballot, defeating Republican Mark Holbrook, and former Democrat, now Independent Marty Grohman.

These top of the ticket races clearly attracted Maine voters to the polls in record numbers for a mid-term election. The heavy turnout helped a number of Democrats win seats in previously Republican controlled districts, leaving both chambers of the Legislature in Democratic control for the first time in four years:

• The Maine Senate went from a narrow, 18-17 Republican majority to a more comfortable Democratic majority of at least 19-14, with 2 races yet to be decided. Noteworthy Democratic pickups include:
  • Former House Majority Leader Erin Herbig flipping the Belfast State Senate seat previously held by Senate President Mike Thibodeau
  • Louis Luchini recapturing Hancock County seat previously held for four terms by Brian Langley (R- Ellsworth)
• The Maine House went from a 73-70-6 Democratic plurality to a likely 87-58-4 Democratic majority, with several recounts possible in close races. A number of three-way races with a left of center independents stayed in Democratic control with surprising margins such as:
  • Dick Farnsworth (D-Portland) defeating both Jane Frey (R) and Justin Pollard (G) with over 70% of the vote, and
  • Teresa Pierce (D-Falmouth) winning nearly 60% of the vote in a suburban seat while facing both Republican and Green candidates.

• Question 1: Mainers overwhelmingly rejected Question 1 by a 62%-38% margin. This referendum question – put forward by the progressive Maine Peoples Alliance — would have established 3.8 percent income tax surcharge on individual and family income over $128,400, and the funds would have been available to all Mainers, regardless of income, to defray some of the costs home-care for seniors and disabled individuals. The referendum drew strong criticism from home care agencies, health care and business associations, and all three gubernatorial candidates. Critics targeted the funding mechanism and also noted that it would provide coverage to people with the means to pay their own ways.
• Question 2, a $30,000,000 bond issue to improve water quality, support the planning and construction of wastewater treatment facilities and assist homeowners whose homes are served by substandard or malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems. This bond appeared poised to pass with 55% of the vote.
• Question 3, a $106,000,000 bond issue, including $101,000,000 for construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of highways and bridges and for facilities and equipment related to ports, piers, harbors, marine transportation, freight and passenger railroads, aviation, transit and bicycle and pedestrian trails, to be used to match an estimated $137,000,000 in federal and other funds, and $5,000,000 for the upgrade of municipal culverts at stream crossings. This bond appeared to pass with a strong 68% majority.
• Question 4, a $49,000,000 bond issue to be matched by at least $49,000,000 in private and public funds to modernize and improve the facilities and infrastructure of Maine’s public universities in order to expand workforce development capacity and to attract and retain students to strengthen Maine’s economy and future workforce. This bond was supported by 55% of voters.
• Question 5, a $15,000,000 bond issue to improve educational programs by upgrading facilities at all 7 of Maine’s community colleges in order to provide Maine people with access to high-skill, low-cost technical and career education. This bond enjoyed strong 65% support.

Following the national trend, it was a very Democratic year in Maine. When the final results become available, we will provide an updated and detailed analysis of the races. Until then, please let us know how we can be of help to you as you seek to learn more about the new political climate in Maine.

Four candidates were on the ballot, but one candidate withdrew prior to the election and his votes were not formally counted.