Republican governor Paul LePage won re-election on Tuesday night, beating out independent Eliot Cutler and six-term Democratic Representative Michael Michaud, who would have been the first openly gay governor in United States history had he won. LePage won 48.2 percent of the vote, compared to 43.3 percent for Michaud and 8.4 percent for Cutler.
In Maine, a ballot initiative on bear hunting and competitive races for the governorship, Congress, and the state legislature drew just under 60 percent of the state’s eligible voters to the polls. Turnout was up 3.8 percentage points from the 2010 election.
Major national newspapers had considered LePage one of the most vulnerable gubernatorial incumbents this year because of controversial statements he has made about education and welfare. But in a year when Republicans gained decisive victories around the country and regained control of the Senate, his platform of lower taxes, smaller government and deeper cuts to welfare programs resonated with many Maine voters.
“What we’ve done tonight in America transcends me and every other governor,” LePage said to his supporters at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston on Tuesday night. “What it is—it’s about the American people. We have spoken. We’ve said enough is enough. We want to go back to the American ideals. Folks, America is the greatest country, and Maine is the greatest state.”
Some students expressed disappointment with LePage’s victory.
“I was rooting for Michaud, and I was hoping he would win. At the same time, even though the election was really close, I expected LePage to win because he was up in the polls and because he had quite a strong following in the Franco-American community,” said Juliet Eyraud ’16. “[I was] disappointed, but I was not surprised.”
In the Senate race, Republican Senator Susan Collins, a three-term incumbent, defeated Democratic challenger Shenna Bellows, winning 69 percent of the vote compared to Bellows’ 31.4 percent.
Democrat Representative Chellie Pingree won a fourth term representing Maine’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, beating political newcomers Republican Isaac Misiuk and Independent Richard Murphey.
The three-way race for the Second District seat, however, proved to be much closer. Republican Bruce Poliquin came out on top with 46.8 percent of the vote, with Democrat Emily Caine close behind at 42 percent. Independent Blaine Richardson finished a distant third, drawing about 11 percent of the vote.
At the local level, this was the first election cycle since district lines were redrawn by Chapter 270 of the Public Laws of 2013 to reflect changes in the state’s demographics. Brunswick is now part of State Senate District 24, which includes North Yarmouth, Pownal, Freeport and Harpswell. State House of Representatives Districts 49 and 50 now also fall within the town of Brunswick. Most College residences belong to District 50.
Democrat Stanley Gerzofsky won the race to represent District 24 in Maine’s Senate, defeating Republican Jennifer Johnson and Green Independent Party nominee Fred Horch.
Gerzofsky won 48.4 percent of the vote, compared to 34 percent for Johnson and 17.7 percent for Horch. In the past, Gerzofsky has voiced his opposition to the tax cuts implemented by the LePage administration. He also supports a higher minimum wage.
The State House District 50 race opened up last summer after former Representative Charles Priest reached his term limit. Democrat Ralph Tucker, who currently has two young granddaughters growing up in Brunswick and cites them as motivation for his run for office, won the race by an overwhelming margin, with roughly 70 percent of the vote against Republican nominee Mark Holbrook. Tucker ran on a platform that promoted fair taxes, environmental safeguards and sensible health care coverage.
In addition to elected positions, Maine voters also casted ballots on Question 1, which would have banned recreational bear hunting with baits, dogs and traps. The initiative failed, with about 54 percent of voters opposed to it.
“Ninety percent of bears hunted in Maine are killed via the methods proposed,” said Sarah McCarthy ’18, who voted no on Question 1. “If this ban goes into effect, the bear population will increase. More bears will starve and wander into cities. More mother bears will be killed and more cubs orphaned. There are simply not enough resources in the state to sustain the increase. More is not always better.”
Students have reacted strongly to Michaud’s loss to LePage, with many of them voicing concerns about the consequences for Maine.
“I’m pretty sad about the result, but at the same time, seeing how life here is so sheltered by the College, I don’t think we will experience the effects of the LePage administration to the same degree as those outside of our bubble,” said Hanna Baldecchi ’18. “However, I do worry about some of the key issues I disagree with LePage on, namely his opinions about women’s rights and environmental policies.”