BANGOR, Maine — The incumbent has lost in a key state Senate race in Bangor, according to unofficial results tabulated by the Bangor Daily News.
In District 32, which drew more than $450,000 in outside spending, Democrat Geoff Gratwick unseated one-term incumbent Republican Sen. Nichi Farnham. That outside spending almost doubled the next highest total in this year’s legislative contests.
Farnham acknowledged her defeat in a phone interview with the BDN. “I’d like to thank all the people who live in Bangor and Hermon for one term in the Senate and I appreciate their kindness,” she said.
Gratwick won with 8,837 votes (56 percent) to Farnham’s 6,995 votes, according to unofficial results tabulated by the Bangor Daily News.
During the campaign, Democrats also accused Farnham of violating campaign disclosure laws. However, the Maine State Ethics Commission found no illegal coordination between Farnham and the Senate Republican Majority political action committee.
“That race will go down as an example of some of the worst in Maine politics in that the Democrats continued to attack an honorable senator even after she was unanimously exonerated by a bipartisan ethics commission,” Maine GOP spokesman David Sorensen said.
“I wasn’t a fan of the tone of the race,” Farnham said. “I am proud of the campaign that my family and friends helped me run. I’m sorry it got lost in the other messaging.”
Gratwick did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Six hours after polls closed, many Maine Senate and House races remained too close to call to determine which party would hold majorities in the next Legislature. At 2 a.m., Maine Democratic Party chair Ben Grant said that Democrats believed they had won 17 Senate seats, with the possibility of winning races too close to call in Senate District 35, where Sen. Troy Jackson is fighting off a challenge from Republican Peter Edgecomb, and in Senate District 17, where Colleen Quint is attempting to unseat first-term incumbent Republican Sen. Garrett Mason.
Another key win for Democrats came in District 6, where Jim Boyle of Scarborough defeated Republican Ruth Summers, the wife of Secretary of State and U.S. Senate candidate Charlie Summers.
But in Aroostook County, Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, who was first elected to the Maine Legislature in 1964, lost his re-election bid to Republican Allen Michael Nadeau in House District 1.
Incumbent Democrats Dawn Hill, Stan Gerzofsky and Justin Alfond won re-election to the Senate. Rep. Anne Haskell, D-Portland, won easily in Senate District 9.
Republican Gary Plummer beat independent Martin Shuer to pick up the Senate District 12 seat held for the past eight years by Democrat Bill Diamond.
Incumbent Republicans Roger Katz of Augusta and Doug Thomas of Ripley won new terms in the Senate.
Independent Richard Woodbury of Yarmouth apparently turned back a challenge by Republican Chris Tyll in Senate District 11. Woodbury could find himself in the position of tie breaker in the Senate if Democrats and Republicans split the chamber’s other 34 seats.
Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, the current speaker of the House, easily won re-election.
Independent Ben Chipman of Portland defeated former legislator Herb Adams, a Democrat, and Republican Gwen Tuttle to return to Augusta to represent House District 119.
Sorensen said Rep. Heather Sirocki, R-Scarborough, defeated Democrat Jean-Marie Caterina in House District 128. Environmental advocacy groups earlier this fall singled out Sirocki as the first Maine lawmaker placed on the League of Conservation Voters’ “Dirty Dozen” list.
Republicans also picked up two House seats in Augusta, with victories by Matt Pouliot and Corey Wilson, according to Sorensen.
This year’s high-stakes struggle to win majorities in the Legislature obliterated the record for outside spending. As of mid-afternoon Tuesday, the Maine Ethics Commission reported that overall outside spending on Maine legislative races topped $3.53 million, shattering the 2010 record of $1.5 million.
In 2010, Republicans swept to majorities in both the Maine House of Representatives and the Maine Senate for the first time since 1974. Heading into Tuesday’s election, House Republicans held 77 seats, Democrats held 70 seats, unenrolled legislators occupied two seats and two vacancies existed. The Senate included 19 Republicans, 15 Democrats and one unenrolled member.
Reeling after the 2010 legislative turnover and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Libby Mitchell’s third-place finish in the 2010 contest that sent Republican Paul LePage to the Blaine House, the Maine Democratic Party dedicated itself to regaining majorities in this year’s legislative elections.
“I think it’s a great night for the party,” said Ben Grant, chairman of the Maine Democratic Party. “We are seeing some really great results. I am confident we will pick up one or both of the houses.”
Looks like Gratwick was the high bidder in this auction.
Are you nuts? High bidder? How so?
He won the auction. We don’t have elections anymore, we have auctions.
follow the money then get back to me about auctions in this race.
Wow…you don’t get out much do you?
I am outside everyday! lol. I work outside. I still say our elections are auctions these days, not elections. Regardless of who won, too much money and not enough good choices.
Unless a mailing, television ad, radio ad, or Internet ad says the message has been endorsed by the candidate, the candidate had nothing to do with it. This goes for both Republicans and Democrats.
Funny how little loopholes in the law make all the difference. I happen to believe that both major parties are fully responsible for the mess we are in. A vote for either one is just asking for more of the same. Thank you sir, may I have another.
In two years–dump LePage!
I am very happy that the $450,000 spent by the Republicans didn’t produce the desired results. It was the nastiest local campaign I can ever remember. I don’t know Gratwick, don’t know anything about him, actually, but I’m glad he won.
Just be sure ro let us know your thoughts ehen Dr. Tax begins to operate.
Oh, I believe you’ll find over $400,000 was spent by the two candidates, combined, but don’t let that silly little fact contradict a perfectly fine tirade.
I don’t believe that either candidate got to spend that outside money unless it was directly dontated to their campaigns. Most of the oustside money spent was from the Super PACs. You can thank the Supreme Court for that.
The outside interests spent the money on behalf of the local candidates, the candidates did not spend outside money.
The outside interests spent the money on their own interests. It is how they buy our politicians. Farnham was one of Grover Norquists pledge signers. I’m sure that some of the money came from Grover Norquists money backers.
One construction of that decision was to allow business to support candidates as unions had been allowed to do for some time. That’s called parity.
Unions to my knowledge are US based and made up of US citizens. They only have about 7% representation in the US workforce at the moment. Corporations are made up of stock holders. Who are the stock holders and how much control do they have in corporate spending? Are the stock holders all US citizens? Isn’t it possible that the voting power of the stock holders can be controled by a foreign citizen or block of citizens?
Corporate wealth v. Union wealth? Me somehow think it’s like David and Goliath when it comes to money. The only edge the unions might have is to convince their members to vote in their best interests.
It appears that argument failed to pursuade the US Supreme Court…
Better luck next time.
If you don’t know Gratwick, how can you be happy that he won? What has Nichi done to sour your taste? She was cleared of all charges, 5 days prior to the election. To bad she was damaged goods by then.
BDN ethos: “Comfort the afflicted… Afflict the comfortable.
It appears a graduate of the US Air Force Academy’s just too “comfortable” in her position in life.
Looks like she will have more time to spend with her kids, and their little league games. Good for her.
Her kids are too old for little league . You apparently don’t know Nichi Farnham.
Guess you missed her testimony, huh?
Your loss is just more proof of the poor education system in Maine.
It shows we need a media in Maine that is not in the tank.
This shows that in Maine now.Lies and corruption do pay off.
As a republican woman she should be happy she now will have more time to spend at home and with her family.
I do not believe the article stated that R’s spent $450,000. Read again–total spent. Actually, it was more D money from outside sources that was spent!
It is a shame that Nichi Farnham was not re-elected, and we have Gratwick whose lack of integrity showed tremendously in his pursuit of this seat. He did not discredit the false accusations, and that is shameful.
And, it sure took a whole lot of time for Nitchey to realize that her name was on a document that was an illegal pursuit for a candidate … the arrogance of thinking that people can’t!
Thank you Bangor. One less ALEC advocate.
Why did Andry Cushing get voted in? Mr. ALEC himself.
Oh, boy, I asked myself that question as I drove through Hampden. ALEC may have won in Winterport/Waldo County too. But the good news is it looks like they lost control of both houses. That should put a stop to ALEC-related business.
Not a D or R issue . Happens my state rep won by a landslide with an R by her name and rightly so. Just had my personal issues with a few Bill Mr. Cushing sponsored for his own personal gain. Any way D or R dose not matter as much as will your state rep. listen way the facts and decide before they vote. They will not always vote the way we want . I understand that but we have to put an end to the party games .
Not all Rs are ALEC pushers. There are probably many who are thoughtful legislators although this legislative session as I looked at ALEC inspired bills it seems as though Rs voted in favor in large numbers. It would be interesting to know if your legislator ever voted against the caucus. That to me is the test of whether any legislator is thinking about his/her constituents and what is good for them. If a legislator is shackled by his/her caucus then there is a whole constituency that is not served well.
Well I do know that if I have an issue with a bill she will listen . We may not always agree . Being in a local district she has voted against some of Mr. Cushings bills . We all have different opinions on what is good for the people. That being said I believe very much that she dose her best for what she feels is right for the people. Now I think we should all contact are state reps and tell them are opinions on bills see if hey listen . I am guesses most just go with the party and do not do any extra research before they vote . That is in both parties .
ALEC/Grover Norquist also won in Washington Countys Senate race. Too bad the Maine Democratic Party couldn’t spare any help for Anne Perry. It was fairly close even with a 3rd candidate taking 19% of the vote.
So you are suggesting that money does ‘buy’ votes. What about local organizers? It is your representative. Work for him/her. Stop outside influence in local matters. I was furious over a postcard sent by the Maine Republican Party and sent it back with a note saying how disgusted I was to receive it.
Of course it buys votes. It buys visibility, publicity, etc. Get’s your name out there. David Burns name was on plackards all over Washington County fro almost a month before I saw one with Ann Perry’s name on it. Even when they started putting Perry’s out they were all small and maybe one quarter in number to Burns. Obviously Burns had help. Now we have a Senator who writes ALEC legislation bills and has pledged to never raise taxes under any circumstance. Too bad he isn’t a local town councilman that way they could never raise property taxes.
True. Name recognition does influence choices. Will get him listed as an ALEC supporter on ALEC Watch In Maine. Thanks for the info. The good news is ALEC has lost control in both houses of the State House. I doubt any ‘model bill’ will get too far. But we must keep and eye out for them. The language used in those bills can be very deceptive.
Dear Nichi:
You lost because you didn’t have the courage to stand up to the Republican prolife plank. If you want to represent Mainers, you have to be brave enough to recognize that we will NOT return to a time when reproductive privacy is governed by “referendum.” If you had been brave enough to say, “I unquestionably support the law of the land, that couples are entitled to full privacy to make their own decisions about reproduction and pregnancy” you might have had a chance.
It didn’t help her that she was against same day voter registration and all for voter ID.
hey farnham, does this bill ring a bell?
LD 83 This bill removes the prohibition on the sale and use of consumer fireworks:
ROLL CALL
FARNHAM of Penobscot R YES
yesterday was PAYBACK time
* R damon is up for re election in 2 years. Ha! cant wait
Uh, Damon lost, too.
great!
hey damon, does this bill ring a bell?
LD 83 This bill removes the prohibition on the sale and use of consumer fireworks:
ROLL CALL
DAMON of Bangor R YES
yesterday was PAYBACK time
We are sick of negative political ads and self-serving parties. Let’s bring integrity and honor back!
Both Farnham and Gratwick were MCEA candidates, and each received about $20,000 in state funds with which to run their campaigns. After the initial seed money received, candidates are not allowed to receive any other contributions or donations in kind.
Independent expenditures, as their name implies, cannot by law be coordinated with the candidate.
Was my earlier comment removed because I used your name, Mr. WT Sawyer???? Maybe you’ve been in local politics, for a length of time, but you sure don’t speak for the common man……….maybe you spend too much time being a “little league dad”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was no secret who paid the millions to keep Angus from being elected because wasn’t the U. S. Chamber of Commerce printed on the screen? For some reason I’m still struggling to understand, corporate America and business as usual has no use for the likes of Angus King or Bernie Sanders.
So when you read the article above did you also want to know who got the bulk of that outside spending in the Bangor contest? I skimmed through the article twice and didn’t see it, did you?
When you read that “In District 32, which drew more than $450,000 in outside spending,” don’t you want to know which of the two candidates got the most of that money?
Did they both get the same amount?
Was the outside money from a kindly uncle who bought Microsoft at 10? Was it from some dictator with a chest covered with medals or from the embassy of some socialistic country?
Wouldn’t you like to know who is so interested in determining the economic landscape in Maine and what they have to gain by buying a piece of it?
After reading an article like this, one might well feel like a kid whose girlfriend dances real close with him until intermission and then goes parking with his best friend.
The humble Farmer