GOP Fields Candidates for All Maine Senate Districts
“Our recruiting bodes well for electing a Republican majority..,” said Raye. Read More...
For Immediate Release – March 15, 2010
Republicans Field Candidates For Every Seat in Maine Senate
Raye and Courtney: Statewide recruiting successes signal strong GOP push to win majority
AUGUSTA – With GOP candidates filing in all 35 districts, Senate Republican Leader Kevin Raye, of Washington County, and Assistant Leader Jon Courtney, of York County, are expressing optimism about the prospects of Republicans winning majority control of the Maine Senate.
“Our recruiting success bodes well for the prospects of electing a Republican majority in the Maine Senate this year,” said Raye. “It’s not just the sheer number of candidates, but the caliber of those candidates, that gives us encouragement.”
“It is terrific to see such a strong group of people willing to run for office to help put Maine on the right track,” said Courtney. “It’s a vastly different political climate than that which we faced two years ago.”
With nine of the Senate’s 35 seats open due to term limits, retirements, and campaigns for higher office, majority control of the Senate is up for grabs this year. In addition to 10 incumbents seeking re-election, and strong candidates running in five Republican-held open seats, the GOP has met with success in recruiting well-known candidates for the four seats now held by Democrats who are leaving the Senate:
· District 1: Selectman Mike Estes (R-York) and Rep. Sally Lewin (R-Eliot) will face each other in a primary for the open seat of retiring Sen. Peter Bowman (D-Kittery)
· District 14: Rep. Sawin Millett (R-Waterford) is seeking the open seat of term-limited Sen. Bruce Bryant (D-Rumford)
· District 24: Mayor Roger Katz (R-Augusta) is seeking the seat vacated by Sen. Libby Mitchell (D-Vassalboro), who is running for Governor
· District 28: Rep. Brian Langley (R-Ellsworth) is running for the open seat of term-limited Sen. Dennis Damon (D-Trenton)
Candidates for the five open Republican seats are:
· District 3: Former Rep. Ron Collins (R-Wells) is running for the open seat of term-limited Sen. Richard Nass (R-Acton)
· District 18: Rep. Tom Saviello (R-Wilton) is seeking the seat left vacant by the retirement of Sen. Walter Gooley (R-Farmington)
· District 23: Rep. Michael Thibodeau (R-Winterport) is running for the open seat of term-limited Sen. Carol Weston (R-Montville)
· District 26: Rodney Whittemore (R-Skowhegan) is seeking the open seat of Sen. Peter Mills (R-Cornville), who is also running for Governor
· District 27: Rep. Doug Thomas (R-Ripley) is running for the seat left vacant by the retirement of Sen. Doug Smith (R-Dover-Foxcroft)
Republicans have also recruited strong challengers to Democratic incumbents statewide. A sampling of them include:
· District 4: Dr. Owen Pickus (R-Biddeford) will face Sen. Nancy Sullivan (D-Biddeford)
· District 15: Former Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello (R-Poland) will face first-term Sen. Deborah Simpson (D-Auburn) in a re-match of their razor-thin 2008 election contest
· District 16: Dr. Joel Kase (R-Lewiston) is opposing Sen. Margaret Craven (D-Lewiston)
· District 32: Former Mayor Nichi Farnham (R-Bangor) will face Sen. Joseph Perry (D-Bangor)
GOP incumbents seeking re-election are: Sen. Jon Courtney (R-Sanford), Sen. Gerald Davis (R-Falmouth), Sen. David Hastings
(R-Fryeburg), Sen. Earle McCormick (R-West Gardiner), Sen. Debra Plowman (R-Hampden), Sen. Kevin Raye (R-Perry), Sen. Christopher Rector (R-Thomaston), Sen. Richard Rosen (R-Bucksport), Sen. Roger Sherman (R-Hodgdon) and Sen. David Trahan (R-Waldoboro).
Republican leaders described this year’s candidates as the strongest the GOP has fielded in years. For example, Roger Katz, Nichi Farnham and Owen Pickus have each been top recruitment targets, but each declined to run until this year.
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