Good morning from Augusta. There are 16 days till the brand new Maine Legislature convenes.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “People are saying, ‘Properly look, I’m not going to any concert events. I’m not going to any sporting occasions. I’m not going to any giant gatherings, I ought to be effective,’ however now, after all, we’re seeing that that’s not the case,” Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Middle for Illness Management and Prevention, stated of the unfold of coronavirus in Maine, which has been driven by small gatherings in individuals’s houses over the previous few weeks.
What we’re watching at present
A rumor that certainly one of Maine’s senators is being thought-about for a Cupboard place set off a wave of hypotheticals about who may rise in Maine politics. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, is being considered for a top intelligence position below the brand new administration of President-elect Joe Biden, Politico reported on Friday. It’s unclear how critical the hypothesis about King is.
Operatives we spoke to that day have been stunned — and tantalized — by the information. If he have been chosen, Gov. Janet Mills would appoint somebody to fill his spot. In the event that they needed to maintain the seat, they must compete for the remainder of King’s time period in a 2022 particular election and run once more in 2024, when the time period expires.
On the Democratic aspect, there could be large dominoes to fall. Some speculated U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of the 2nd District could be candidate, although he advised the Bangor Day by day Information in a latest interview that he’s not fascinated with any run for Senate in 2024. His swing help in a district received by Trump this yr would make him a stable statewide prospect.
However Rep. Chellie Pingree of the first District and her daughter, Hannah Pingree, who heads Mills’ coverage workplace, will grasp over this dialog as they’ve with many others about larger positions over the previous 5 years. They’d include monetary and political help centered in southern Maine. Wild playing cards embody outgoing Home Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, who’s dinged up after her loss to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins however may have thousands and thousands of {dollars} left in her marketing campaign account after elevating file sums in her race.
Hypotheticals about Golden, Pingree and Gideon mirror that neither Democrats nor Republicans in Maine appear to have a very deep slate of legislative candidates to attract from. On the Republican aspect, former Gov. Paul LePage appears to be like primed to run for his previous spot in 2022 whereas former U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin appears to be itching to run for one thing once more.
All situations appear inconceivable for now, nonetheless, as King’s age and comparatively restricted intelligence expertise make different candidates extra doubtless. Different names floated for the place embody a number of intelligence officers who served below Biden and former President Barack Obama. King is 76 years previous with an intelligence profile solely restricted to his Senate service. He has not stated how he could be in such a place.
The Maine politics prime 3
— “Maine’s polarized political shift may survive the Trump era,” Jessica Piper, Bangor Day by day Information: “The political divide on the presidential stage has grown as a smattering of small cities in northern and jap Maine — together with some that have been Democratic strongholds only a decade in the past — have trended conservative whereas coastal areas have turn out to be extra liberal. Inland cities in central and southern Maine usually stay a battleground.”
— “A Black doctor will be 1st Democrat in 30 years to serve a conservative piece of Maine,” Caitlin Andrews, BDN: “[Rep-elect. Richard Evans] made two uphill bids for the seat, dropping to Rep. Norman Higgins of Dover-Foxcroft, who unenrolled from the Republican Occasion three years in the past, by 7 factors in 2016 and 9 factors in 2018. The 2020 marketing campaign was sophisticated by a 3rd hopeful — Republican Chad Perkins of Dover-Foxcroft. The state’s political events didn’t mount main efforts for the seat in 2020.”
Evans’ fortunate victory got here as Home Democrats’ majority receded considerably in 2020. The Dover-Foxcroft race was a uncommon vibrant spot for Home Democrats on this yr’s election, since they lost 11 seats to Republicans after making large positive aspects two years in the past. It reduces their Home majority to 80 seats and places Republicans inside putting distance of taking again the chamber for the primary time since 2010 within the subsequent election. Very similar to Republican gains in the U.S. House of Representatives this yr, these large positive aspects have been largely unexpected.
— “BIW and union are getting back on same page after strike,” David Sharp, The Related Press: “Bathtub Iron Works President Dirk Lesko stated Friday that he expects the federally mediated discussions to yield optimistic outcomes by yr’s finish, because the shipyard and union embark on a three-year plan to get caught up.”
Right this moment’s Day by day Temporary was written by Michael Shepherd, Caitlin Andrews and Jessica Piper. For those who’re studying this on the BDN’s web site or have been forwarded it, e-mail clumm@bangordailynews.com (we’re organising a brand new subscriber web page quickly) to subscribe to it by way of e-mail.
To achieve us, don’t reply on to this article, however contact the political crew at mshepherd@bangordailynews.com, candrews@bangordailynews.com or jpiper@bangordailynews.com.
