Maine gubernatorial election, 2010 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2010 Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

Governor

Governor of Maine

The governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive....

John Baldacci

John Elias Baldacci is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Maine from 2003 until 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003....

was term-limited and unable to seek re-election. Primary election

Primary election

A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....

s took place on June 8, 2010. The candidates who appeared on the November ballot were (in alphabetical order by last name): Eliot Cutler

Eliot Cutler

Eliot Cutler is an American lawyer and was an Independent candidate in Maine's 2010 gubernatorial race.Born and raised in Bangor, Maine, Cutler graduated from Harvard College and later earned a degree from Georgetown Law....

(Independent), Paul LePage

Paul LePage

Paul Richard LePage is an American businessman and politician who is serving as the 74th and current Governor of Maine. A Republican, he was previously mayor of Waterville from 2003 to 2011, and was a city councilor before that...

(Republican), Libby Mitchell (Democrat), Shawn Moody

Shawn Moody

Shawn H. Moody is a Maine entrepreneur, and former Independent candidate for Governor of Maine.-Personal life:Moody grew up in Gorham, Maine, and is the youngest of three children...

(Independent), and Kevin Scott (Independent).

With 94% of precincts reporting on the day after the election, the Bangor Daily News
Bangor Daily News
The Bangor Daily News is an American newspaper that was founded on June 18, 1889; in 1900 the paper merged with the Bangor Whig and Courier. The Bangor Publishing Co. publishes the paper in Bangor, Maine, in addition to two weekly papers distributed by the BDN and several others distributed by the...

declared LePage the winner, carrying 38.1% of the votes. Cutler was in second place with 36.7% of the votes (less than 7,500 votes behind LePage), while Mitchell was a distant third with 19%. Moody and Scott had 5% and 1%, respectively. Two days after the election, with 99% of precincts reporting, LePage's lead over Cutler had widened to more than 10,000 votes.

On ballot

Patrick K. McGowan
Patrick K. McGowan
Patrick K McGowan, known commonly as Pat McGowan, is a Maine politician. A member of the Democratic Party, McGowan was candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary for Governor of Maine....

, former State Conservation Commissioner
Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell, State Senate President
Maine Senate
The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution allows for "an odd number of Senators, not less than...
Steven Rowe
G. Steven Rowe
G. Steven Rowe, known commonly as Steve Rowe, is a Maine politician. A Democrat, he first entered politics in 1992 as a member of the Maine House of Representatives. In 1998, he became the 94th Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, serving until he was term-limited from the House in 2000...

, former Maine Attorney General
Maine Attorney General
This is a list of Maine Attorneys General...

; former State Representative
Rosa Scarcelli
Rosa Scarcelli
Rosa W. Scarcelli is an American politician and business executive, currently serving as the CEO of Stanford Management, a low-cost housing provider in Maine...

, business owner

Write-in

Donna Dion, former Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

of Biddeford
Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...

. Did not appear on the ballot due to lack of petition signatures, but continued her campaign in the primary as a write-in candidate
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...

.

Withdrawn

Dawn Hill, State Representative
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...

. Hill withdrew from the race on January 1, 2010, citing the crowded field of candidates.
John G. Richardson
John G. Richardson
John G. Richardson is a Maine politician. A Democrat, Richardson sought the . He withdrew from the race after questions raised about signatures collected by 4 campaign volunteers put his campaign's eligibility for Clean Elections funding at risk...

, former Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and former Speaker of the House. Richardson withdrew from the race on April 26 amid allegations that some of his campaign workers had not followed proper procedures for collecting donations to qualify him for Maine Clean Election funding. The primary ballots had already been printed before Richardson withdrew from the race, so Richardson's name appeared on the ballot even though he was no longer a candidate.
Peter Truman (also known as Peter Throumoulos), former state representative and convicted forger. Did not appear on the ballot due to lack of petition signatures.

Declined

Brian Bolduc, current state representative from District 69 in Auburn
Tom Allen
Tom Allen
Thomas Hodge "Tom" Allen is a former member of the United States House of Representatives representing , and the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008 against Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins. Allen lost to Collins .Allen was first elected in 1996, defeating Republican...

, former U.S. Representative from Maine's 1st congressional district
Maine's 1st congressional district
Maine's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maine. The geographically smaller of the two congressional districts in the state, the district covers the southern coastal area of the state. The district consists of all of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc,...

Polling

Poll source	Dates administered	Mitchell	Rowe G. Steven Rowe G. Steven Rowe, known commonly as Steve Rowe, is a Maine politician. A Democrat, he first entered politics in 1992 as a member of the Maine House of Representatives. In 1998, he became the 94th Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, serving until he was term-limited from the House in 2000...	Scarcelli Rosa Scarcelli Rosa W. Scarcelli is an American politician and business executive, currently serving as the CEO of Stanford Management, a low-cost housing provider in Maine...	McGowan Patrick K. McGowan Patrick K McGowan, known commonly as Pat McGowan, is a Maine politician. A member of the Democratic Party, McGowan was candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary for Governor of Maine....	Undecided
Pan Atlantic SMS Group	May 21–29, 2010	13.3%	11.7%	7.0%	6.3%	61.7%

Results

At 11:32 p.m. EDT, WCSH

WCSH

WCSH is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southern Maine and Northern New Hampshire. Licensed to Portland, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 44 from a transmitter on Winn Mountain in Sebago. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Time Warner Cable channel 6...

declared Libby Mitchell the winner of the Democratic primary.

On ballot

Steve Abbott
Steve Abbott (politician)
Steve Abbott is an American lawyer and politician, most recently serving as the Chief of Staff to Senator Susan Collins. In January, 2010, Abbott announced that he was seeking the 2010 Republican nomination for Governor of Maine. In the June primary, he came in fourth.-Early life and...

, former chief of staff for Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

Susan Collins
Susan Collins
Susan Margaret Collins is the junior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1996, she is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs...
William "Bill" Beardsley, former president of Husson University
Matt Jacobson
Matt Jacobson
Matthew C. Jacobson is an American politician and business executive, currently serving as the President and CEO of Maine & Company, a private, non-profit corporation which aims to attract and grow Maine businesses...

, president of Maine & Company, a private business attraction organization; former President of the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad
Paul LePage
Paul LePage
Paul Richard LePage is an American businessman and politician who is serving as the 74th and current Governor of Maine. A Republican, he was previously mayor of Waterville from 2003 to 2011, and was a city councilor before that...

, mayor of Waterville
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....

and general manager of Marden's Surplus & Salvage store chain
Peter Mills, State Senator from Cornville and 2006 candidate for governor
Les Otten
Les Otten
Leslie B. "Les" Otten , is the former CEO of the American Skiing Company. Since resigning as Chief Executive Officer in 2001, Otten has been involved in numerous other businesses and industries, including Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox....

, founder of American Skiing Company
American Skiing Company
American Skiing Company was one of the largest operators of alpine ski, snowboard and golf resorts in the United States. Its resorts included Sunday River and Sugarloaf, in Maine and The Canyons in Utah....

and former Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

co-owner
Bruce Poliquin, business owner/manager and economist

Declined

Peter Cianchette
Peter Cianchette
Peter Cianchette is a Maine businessman, politician and former United States Ambassador to Costa Rica.-Early life and education:Cianchette was born and raised in Pittsfield...

, United States Ambassador to Costa Rica
United States Ambassador to Costa Rica
The following is a list of United States Ambassadors, or other Chiefs of Mission, to Costa Rica. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-See also:...

and 2002
Maine gubernatorial election, 2002
The Maine gubernatorial election of 2002 took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Independent Governor Angus King was term limited, and unable to seek re-election...

Republican nominee for governor
Kevin Raye, State Senate Minority Leader
Josh Tardy, State House Minority Leader

Polling

Poll source	Dates administered	Otten Les Otten Leslie B. "Les" Otten , is the former CEO of the American Skiing Company. Since resigning as Chief Executive Officer in 2001, Otten has been involved in numerous other businesses and industries, including Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox....	LePage	Mills	Abbott Steve Abbott (politician) Steve Abbott is an American lawyer and politician, most recently serving as the Chief of Staff to Senator Susan Collins. In January, 2010, Abbott announced that he was seeking the 2010 Republican nomination for Governor of Maine. In the June primary, he came in fourth.-Early life and...	Beardsley	Poliquin	Jacobson Matt Jacobson Matthew C. Jacobson is an American politician and business executive, currently serving as the President and CEO of Maine & Company, a private, non-profit corporation which aims to attract and grow Maine businesses...	Undecided
MECPO	May 22-June 2, 2010	17.0%	10.7%	22.1%	13.9%	5.9%	4.9%	1.4%	24.0%
Pan Atlantic SMS Group	May 21–29, 2010	17.0%	10.3%	8.4%	8.3%	3.6%	3.3%	2.0%	47.0%

Results

At 11:19 p.m. EDT, WCSH

WCSH

declared Paul LePage the winner of the GOP primary.

Candidates on the ballot

Eliot Cutler
Eliot Cutler
Eliot Cutler is an American lawyer and was an Independent candidate in Maine's 2010 gubernatorial race.Born and raised in Bangor, Maine, Cutler graduated from Harvard College and later earned a degree from Georgetown Law....

, lawyer, former staff member for U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie
Edmund Muskie
Edmund Sixtus "Ed" Muskie was an American politician from Rumford, Maine. He served as Governor of Maine from 1955 to 1959, as a member of the United States Senate from 1959 to 1980, and as Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter from 1980 to 1981...

, and former adviser to President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

from Cape Elizabeth
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Cape Elizabeth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...

, Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 281,674. Its county seat is Portland, and is the most populous of the sixteen Maine counties, as well as the most affluent. Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the...
Shawn Moody
Shawn Moody
Shawn H. Moody is a Maine entrepreneur, and former Independent candidate for Governor of Maine.-Personal life:Moody grew up in Gorham, Maine, and is the youngest of three children...

, business owner from Gorham
Gorham, Maine
Gorham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 16,381 at the 2010 census. In addition to an urban village center known as Gorham Village or simply "the Village," the town also encompasses a number of smaller, unincorporated villages and hamlets with distinct...

, Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 281,674. Its county seat is Portland, and is the most populous of the sixteen Maine counties, as well as the most affluent. Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the...
Kevin L. Scott, business owner from Andover
Andover, Maine
Andover is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 864 at the 2000 census. Set among mountains and crossed by the Appalachian Trail, Andover is home to the Andover Earth Station and Lovejoy Covered Bridge.-History:...

, Oxford County
Oxford County, Maine
Oxford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine with a population of 57,833 as of the 2010 U.S. census. Its county seat is Paris.Part of Oxford County is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, metropolitan New England City and Town Area while a different part of Oxford County is...

Write-in candidates

John Jenkins
John Jenkins (American politician)
John Jenkins is a Maine politician. He served as mayor of Auburn and separately mayor of Lewiston. He was also the first African American to serve in the Maine State Senate...

, former State Senator, former Mayor of both Auburn
Auburn, Maine
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan...

and Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...

, and a 2002 gubernatorial candidate. Jenkins, who won his most recent mayoral campaign by write-in, declared he would run for Governor of Maine if 5,000 people followed his Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...

fan page within 45 days.

Beverly Cooper-Pete. Did not appear on the ballot due to lack of petition signatures, but continued her campaign as a write-in candidate.

Disqualified candidates

Alex Hammer, business owner and self-published author. Did not appear on the ballot due to not meeting the deadline for turning in petition signatures. Hammer attempted to turn in some of the signatures electronically, but the Secretary of State ruled that such methods were not allowed. Hammer filed suit to appear on the ballot in Penobscot County Superior Court on June 28, 2010. On September 28, 2010, the judge upheld the Secretary of State's decision.

Withdrawn

Samme Bailey. Did not appear on the ballot due to lack of petition signatures.
Augustus Edgerton. Did not appear on the ballot due to lack of petition signatures.
Michael Heath, former leader of the Christian Civic League of Maine (now known as the Maine Family Policy Council). Withdrew from the race due to lack of petition signatures.
John Whitcomb. Did not appear on the ballot due to lack of petition signatures.

Maine Green Independent Party
Maine Green Independent Party
The Maine Green Independent Party is the oldest state Green party in the United States. It was founded following an informal meeting of 18 environmental advocates, including Bowdoin College professor John Rensenbrink and others in Augusta, Maine...

The Maine Greens did not have a gubernatorial candidate on the ballot, as no candidate collected required number of signatures.

Withdrawn

Lynne Williams
Lynne Williams
Lynne Williams is a Maine politician and lawyer. The former chairperson of the Maine Green Independent Party, she was a candidate for the party's nomination for Governor of Maine in the 2010 election before dropping out of the race on March 15, 2010. A resident of Bar Harbor, Williams serves on...

, attorney and former state chair of the Maine Green Independent Party. On March 15, 2010, Lynne Williams announced her withdrawal from the campaign, citing a lack of clean elections funds and qualifying signatures.
Patrick Quinlan, political activist, author, and lone legislative aide of Maine Green Independent Party
Maine Green Independent Party
The Maine Green Independent Party is the oldest state Green party in the United States. It was founded following an informal meeting of 18 environmental advocates, including Bowdoin College professor John Rensenbrink and others in Augusta, Maine...

caucus in state House of Representatives for 2004 and 2005; former campaign manager
Campaign manager
A campaign manager is a paid or volunteer individual, whose role is to coordinate the campaign's operations such as fundraising, advertising, polling, getting out the vote , and other activities supporting the effort, directly.Apart from the candidate, they are often a campaign's most visible leader...

and consultant for Green state representative John Eder
John Eder
John Eder is an American activist and politician from the state of Maine. Eder lives in Portland and is a member of the Maine Green Independent Party, the Maine affiliate of the national Green Party. He served in the Maine House of Representatives as the legislature's first member of the Green...

Results

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report	Toss up	October 29, 2010
The Rothenberg Political Report Stuart Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg is an American editor, publisher, and political analyst best known for his Washington-based, biweekly, self-proclaimed non-partisan political newsletter The Rothenberg Political Report...	Toss up/Tilt Republican	October 28, 2010
RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics is a political news and polling data aggregator based in Chicago, Illinois. The site's founders say their goal is to give readers "ideological diversity." They have described themselves as frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-Christian media bias, and...	Leans Republican	October 22, 2010
Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato’s Crystal Ball is a free, nonpartisan weekly online newsletter and comprehensive website in the United States that analyzes the current American political scene and predicts electoral outcomes for U.S House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, governors, and U.S. president races...	Leans Republican	October 28, 2010
CQ Politics Congressional Quarterly Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...	Leans Democrat	October 29, 2010
Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...	Solid Republican	October 28, 2010

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Paul LePage (R)	Libby Mitchell (D)	Eliot Cutler (I)	Shawn Moody (I)	Kevin Scott (I)	Undecided
MPRC / Down East Magazine	October 28–30, 2010	546	± 4.19%	39%	24%	29%	4%	1%	2%
Critical Insights / MaineToday Media	October 27–28, 2010	621	± 4%	40%	21%	21%	4%	1%	11%
Pan Atlantic SMS	October 25–28, 2010	400	± 4.9%	38.6%	21.8%	30.6%	2.8%	1.1%	7.3%
Public Policy Polling	October 26–28, 2010	1,812	± 2.3%	40%	24%	28%	4%	1%	2%
Rasmussen Reports	October 26, 2010	500	± 4.5%	40%	26%	26%	-	-	5%
Critical Insights	October 13–17, 2010	600	± 4%	32%	20%	19%	5%	1%	21%
Pan Atlantic SMS	October 11–15, 2010	501	± 4.4%	32.9%	28.0%	14.0%	4.6%	0.4%	20.2%
Rasmussen Reports	October 12, 2010	500	± 4.5%	35%	32%	21%	*	*	6%
Critical Insights / MaineToday Media	October 10–11, 2010	605	± 4%	32%	26%	11%	5	1	26%
Pine Tree Politics / Maine Center for Public Opinion	October 4–7, 2010	679	± 3.76%	29.6%	28.7%	11.1%	4.9%	1.6%	24.1%
Critical Insights / MaineToday Media	September 27, 2010	405	± 4.9%	29%	30%	9%	5%	0%	26%
Rasmussen Reports	September 20, 2010	500	± 4.5%	45%	27%	14%	*	*	10%
Critical Insights / MaineToday Media	September 13, 2010	603	± 4%	38%	25%	11%	4%	1%	21%
Public Policy Polling	September 2–6, 2010	1,468	± 2.6%	43%	29%	11%	5%	1%	12%
Rasmussen Reports	August 12, 2010	500	± 4.5%	38%	30%	16%	*	*	11%
Rasmussen Reports	July 14, 2010	500	± 4.5%	39%	31%	15%	*	*	12%
Rasmussen Reports	June 10, 2010	500	± 4.5%	43%	36%	7%	*	*	14%

* Shawn Moody and Kevin Scott, two Independent candidates who will appear on the ballot, were not offered as choices in the Rasmussen polls.

External links

Maine Secretary of State - Elections Division
Maine Governor Candidates at Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
Campaign contributions for 2010 Maine Governor from Follow the Money
Maine Governor 2010 from OurCampaigns.com
2010 Maine Gubernatorial General Election: Paul LePage (R) vs Libby Mitchell (D) graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
Election 2010: Maine Governor from Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
2010 Maine Governor - LePage vs. Mitchell vs. Cutler from Real Clear Politics
2010 Maine Governor's Race from CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
Race Profile in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

Official campaign websites

Debates

Candidate interviews

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