PORTLAND, Maine — The race for the U.S. Senate is the main draw as Maine voters go to the polls to decide which Republican and Democratic candidates will appear on November’s ballot for U.S. Senate and House elections.
Six Republicans and four Democrats seeking to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Olympia Snowe are running in the primary election Tuesday. The GOP also had contested primaries in each of the state’s two congressional districts.
The Senate race has generated the most interest with Snowe’s decision to not seek a fourth term and former Gov. Angus King’s decision to run as an independent.
Peter Gaulkey, a left-leaning Republican in Portland, said he couldn’t vote for any of the GOP candidates on the ballot so he wrote in King’s name.
“I’d just like to see people be more pragmatic. Ideology has gone too far,” Gaulkey said. “People can rail against the government but we are the government — of the people, by the people, for the people. People need to get the work done and stop worrying about ideology. It’s not helping anybody.”
Many voters view King as difficult to beat. And Democrats worry that King, a former member of their party, could siphon off Democratic votes and give Republicans an advantage.
“The reality is that I do think Angus King will win the general election,” said Elizabeth Simpson, a Democrat who said she’d vote for King if necessary to keep the Senate out of GOP hands.
There was light traffic at many polling places, in keeping with state election officials’ prediction of a turnout of less than 20 percent of registered voters.
Many Senate candidates said large numbers of voters still haven’t made up their minds, leaving the outcomes up in the air.
“There are so many undecided voters. I don’t see how anyone can think they have an edge,” said state Sen. Debra Plowman, a Republican who estimated that four in 10 voters are undecided based on her phone calls. “It means anyone can win in my book. We haven’t given up.”
In addition to Plowman, the candidates in the Republican Senate primary were Rick Bennett, CEO of a corporate watchdog firm; small businessman Scott D’Amboise; state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin; Attorney General William Schneider; and Secretary of State Charlie Summers.
Running in the Democratic primary are state Sen. Cynthia Dill; former Secretary of State Matt Dunlap; state Rep. Jon Hinck; and home builder Benjamin Pollard.
In the Republican House primaries, state Sen. Jon Courtney faced merchant mariner Patrick Calder in the 1st District, and Senate President Kevin Raye faced Navy veteran and building contractor Blaine Richardson in the 2nd District.
The candidates continued their campaigning Tuesday after spending Monday on talk radio shows, meeting with voters on downtown streets and working the phones.
Summers stopped at coffee shops and diners in Cumberland and York counties, while Bennett stopped at businesses and met residents in walks through downtowns in central and southern Maine.
D’Amboise also walked downtown districts in central Maine and planned to wave campaign signs with supporters during the afternoon rush hour in Topsham.
Plowman campaigned in the Bangor area and sent email and Facebook messages to supporters. Poliquin worked with volunteers in Damariscotta making phone calls to solicit support. Schneider had a busy primary day planned.
On the Democratic side, candidates worked the phones and met with supporters Monday.
It has been a relatively low-profile campaign, although some of the candidates have taken shots at each other.
Bennett and D’Amboise have criticized Poliquin, arguing he’s not the conservative he claims to be based on past contributions to a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, to a handgun control group and to a leading environmental advocacy group. Bennett has also taken aim at Summers, claiming Summers voted in favor of increased sales and gasoline taxes while in the Legislature in the early 1990s.
The primaries are a pivotal first step toward determining who will replace Snowe as Maine enters a new political era of representation in Washington, said David Stearns, a Republican business owner from Kennebunk.
“This is a critical election,” said Stearns. “I think this primary is important to see who’ll face Angus King.”
Associated Press writer David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
Nobody worth voting for on either side . . .
I wrote in candidates on my ballot this year. Thought about who I wanted to represent me and put that person’s name on the ballot.
If you don’t vote, you lose your right to complain about who wins the election.
yet another “American” advocating the restriction of another citizen’s first amendment right…..sigh
I support AG Bill Schneider and I believe he would make an excellent Senator.
The expected low voter turnout and 6 Republican candidates could result in a very,very poor nominee for Republicans. There are a couple running that I would never vote for (D’Amboise or Poliquin). Ever.
On the Democratic side Dill is as extreme as Poliquin and D’Ambroise are for the R’s.
King is probably hoping his opponents will be Dill and D’Amboise. In that case get used to saying “Senator King”.
Schneider (or one of the other less extreme candidates) could feasibly pick up a win if moderates and liberals split their votes between the Democratic nominee and King.
I voted for Summers, but if Schneider takes the nomination, then we still have a chance to take King in an election.
I agree. Summers or Schneider have a chance. The others — not so much.
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Gosh I Hope Not!
Amen!
I voted Deb Plowman for U.S. Senate. She has a good mix of conservative values and legislative experience.
I voted Blaine Richardson for U.S. Congress. He has the right values.
I voted Dave Burns for State Senate (District 29). He has a good mix of conservative values and legislative experience. He also has a real good grasp of the issues facing our state.
Sounds like you wasted your vote. Ha Ha :}
Time will tell. There could be some surprises tonight. :)
In any case, if we don’t vote for the candidates who we think will make the best leaders, but only choose the ones that the polls and media say have the best ‘chance’, we are letting pollsters and pundits control us. And that, my friend, is a roadmap to lots of wasted votes.
To All Democrats..Please turn out to vote! Don’t let Maine become another Wisconsin!! It’s up to us Democrats to stop the GOP agenda in it’s tracks!
Not a chance! Wisconsin voters did the right thing. They put the brakes on out-of-control public employee unions. This is a dose of medicine that is sorely needed in Maine!
I voted no on the Schools 42 millon dollar budget.. Of course there was no news about the 42,000,000.00 budget vote prior to the vote… They do that on purpose every year never report it until after the fact.
this