1st CD Republicans??

Ray -

Who's on the speculation list? Hon. Charlie Summers, Sen. Jon Courtney, Hon. David Bowles. Who else?

skf

I nominate Ray Richardson.

Great name recognition. Articulate. Conservative.

The Democrats know that it is 90% name recognition and 10% issues. Ray would do very well.

The others are just chum for Dems.

David Jones would be a great candidate!

He is not a Republican.

Ray backs the likes of Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe and he is considered a Conservative? I guess that is what is wrong with the Republican Party at the State level and the National level. How long would it take for him to fall in line with the voting records of the two Senators that seem to lean further left on a daily basis.

I guess the name Peter Chianchette will be on the list sometime soon so that others will not throw in and run.

Peter has said he is not running.

will meet at Christo's Place Restaurant in Sanford this Monday at 6:30PM.

One of the prospective candidates from whom we will hear is Mr. Dean Scontras.
He has an good team assembled which includes former MaineGOP Political Director, Dan Schuberth.

I'll bet you'll see Hon. Dave Bowles there, too.

It should be very interesting.

PM me if you'd like to be added to the list of attendees!

Fred Staples
Chair-YCGOP

I am not nor will I ever be a candidate for public office.

I would, however, like to elect a Republican to the 1st CD that honors the four question litmus test

Bowles, Courtney, Scontras, Abbott, Summers ..... I agree, David Jones would be a wonderful congressman ... he is a conservative

Who is anyone here backing?

Debater ..... are you suggesting that as a "conservative" I should support Jean hay Bright or Tom Allen?

How can we be backing anyone? No candidate has announced.

Is there anyone you are thinking about supporting should they choose to announce for the 1st CD?

Somebody with a lot of his/her money to burn. They'll need it.

Ray -

I agree with Dan. It's a bit premature for me to say I support a candidate in name only. I know and like Summers, Courtney, Bowles, and have heard good things about Scontras. I know David Jones by phone and as an AMG advertiser.

Then there's the small matter of my not living in the First District!

Any of the potential candidates named here are, as far as I know, worthy candidates. I'd like to know when they plan to start campaigning. I'd like to know if the State and national parties will support them financially. If not, how are they going to get around that financial challenge? Will they get in the race to win or to show? And where are they on the three key fed issues of our day: immigration, the War on Terror, and federal spending?

Does that help?

skf

I was not looking for a blood oath from anyone.

I was simply wondering if anyone had a person they liked for the job.

I know I do and I assumed others may have thought about it since we are going to have an election and it is for an open seat

This is a winnable seat, if a candidate can get the proper amount of support. Also, there could be other factors at play that may be unique to this particular seat.

It is not a good thing that 4 Democrats have announced and 1 more will do so tomorrow and no Republicans have announced.

Does the fact that no Rs have jumped in while Ds are climbing over each other mean anything? One might suggest that none appear to have the unbridled political aspirations seen in the likes of Strimling, Pingree et al. There is a fine line between unbridled ambition and a strong will to win ("fire in the belly") and I am not sure there is a name that has been mentioned as a potential R candidate who exhibits any zeal for the job.

Steve Abbott could be a very good candidate, but he is pretty occupied with Sen Collins' own race and duties on the Hill, and he may not get in for a while. Moreover, you have to wonder if he will stay with Collins in the event Allen shows stronger than expected early support and the race looks closer than once thought.

I just look forward to the effort to dismember Strimling by the Ds, you have to wonder who likes the guy outside of his West End enclave.

Jumping in after the pool is drained is a perennial Maine GOP candidate mistake. Normally a high dive! The successful candidate, IMO, is visible early. That doesn't mean visible early as an announced candidate. It means out in public at least acting like a candidate.

skf

Yes, it does.
It means that the Dems are confident that whichever one of them wins the nomination
will win the election... easily.
It means the Repubs are sure that the Dems will win the seat
and none of them wants to be the sacrificial lamb.

Debater ..... are you suggesting that as a "conservative" I should support Jean hay Bright or Tom Allen?

No, it would be nice if their were "REAL" Republican put up as candidates instead of the ones already in office and being more like the Democrats then many Democrats do.

If there were true Republicans recruited and supported during the primary we wouldn't have Democrat with an R after their names. We wouldn't have to wonder which way they are to vote. They won't be in back room meetings and deals with the likes of Kennedy and Schuma or Murtha.

They would stand up and fight for their constituents and not worry about their next election and the power they grave.

Debater,

I have no heard of any challenges to Collins on the R side. Snowe only had "write-in" opponents.

I will take Susan Collins every day of the week and twice on Sunday over Tom Allen. For me personally and I like the guy, there is not even a question of who to support.

Obviously I still support Charlie and if I lived in Maine and still worked in politics I would offer my services again. I think that a big problem he had and I saw as we went around raising money was the republican party feeling burned time and time again by giving money to candidates who didn't come close. Charlie raised a great deal of money because he is a great candidate and we had some great donors, but with Tom out of the way I bet he could raise a great deal more.

Is Charlie still on active duty? That could definitely play into whether he runs or not, also my last few checks on the FCC website still showed campaign debt for him from 04. If that is accurate that may play a role in his decision as well...

His active duty status is not an issue (apparently service members can run for office with permission of thier commanding officer). He would have to resign from the SBA.

Steven Scharf
SCSMedia@aol.com

I have met Dean Scontras, seems like a nice guy. It would take a big heavy known widely person to take the seat from the likes of Chellie. People keep voting Allen in, so they know any dem can get elected.

Went to the MHPC lunch last week and sat at the table with Dean Scontras.....he is very personable and marks high points on the conservative scale.....a prolife fiscal conservative.

Will be interesting to see how he fares in the debate forum and others when we get into the hunt.

He made a very favorable first impression.

I know i've met Dean, what is his background, so i can figure out where i've met him before...