The primary election for Maine’s congressional seats took place on July 14, 2020. The filing deadline to run passed on March 16. Candidates competed to advance to the general election scheduled on November 3. The following races were decided, meaning one or more candidates advanced to the general election, on primary election night: • U.S.…
Adrienne Bennett and Eric Brakey conceded Maine’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary to Dale Crafts. As of 4 p.m. Eastern Time on July 15, Crafts had received 44.7% of the vote. Bennett received 32.5%, and Brakey, 22.9%. Since Maine uses ranked-choice voting, Crafts would have needed more than 50% of the vote to win on…
Based on unofficial election night results, 75.5% of voters approved Maine Question 1, the High-Speed Internet Infrastructure Bond Issue, and 77.5% of voters approved Maine Question 2, the Transportation Infrastructure Bond Issue. Maine Question 1 authorized $15 million in general obligation bonds for the ConnectME Authority to provide funding for high-speed internet infrastructure in unserved…
Sara Gideon defeated Betsy Sweet and Bre Kidman in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Maine. As of 11:15 a.m. Eastern Time on July 15, Gideon had received 70% of the vote followed by Sweet and Kidman with 23% and 7% of the vote, respectively, with 88% of precincts reporting. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign…
The statewide primary election for Maine is on July 14, 2020. The filing deadline passed on March 16. Candidates are running in elections for the following offices: 1 member of the U.S. Senate 2 members of the U.S. House of Representatives 35 state Senate seats 151 state House seats Candidates are competing to advance to…
On June 29th, Cumberland County Superior Court Justice Thomas Warren decided not to remove a Maine ballot referendum from the November 2020 ballot that challenges a state agency decision to give permission to build a high-voltage power line. Opponents of the referendum argued in court that the ballot measure violates the separation of powers provision…
On June 15, signatures were filed for a veto referendum to repeal Maine LD 1803, which established ranked-choice voting for presidential elections. Under LD 1803, Maine is slated to use ranked-choice voting to elect the president for the first time on November 3, 2020. The Maine Republican Party led the signature-gathering efforts for the veto…
A new lawsuit asks whether the Maine Constitution allows citizens to use ballot initiatives to reverse agency orders. On May 12, Avangrid Networks, Inc. asked the Cumberland County Superior Court to block a ballot initiative that aims to overturn a Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) decision to grant Central Maine Power Company (CMP) a permit…
On April 27, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued rulings in three cases argued during its October Term 2019-2020. The court has issued 29 decisions this term. Maine Community Health Options v. United States concerned the “Risk Corridors” program of Section 1342 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The case originated from…
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Maine Governor Janet Mills announced that she was extending the state’s stay-at-home order through May 31. The new order, which Mills called a “Stay Safer at Home Order,” relaxes restrictions on some businesses as part of the first stage of the state’s new reopening plan. Gatherings with more than…