Jon Gale dropped out of the race to become the Cumberland County district attorney on Monday night after the Maine Democratic Party had asked him to withdraw over unspecified allegations of sexual misconduct from when Gale worked at Unum in the early 2000s. Gale, 51, didn’t directly address the allegations about his time at Unum, […]
Democrat
Westbrook Democrat resigns after misconduct allegations
Dillon Bates, a two-term Democratic state representative from Westbrook who has been accused of inappropriate relationships with female students, has resigned effective immediately. Democratic House Speaker Sara Gideon, who had previously sought the two-term lawmaker’s resignation, shared an email from the 30-year-old former teacher and coach on Monday. “Speaker Gideon, I will be resigning my […]
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Maine arrested near U.S-Mexico border
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Zak Ringelstein, who this week canceled a campaign tour of Maine to travel to the U.S.-Mexico border, was arrested Friday for refusing to leave a child detention center in Texas after being told he would not be allowed inside. “Zak is now a political prisoner of the Trump regime,” read a […]
Blaine House hopefuls shift to attack mode
With less than two weeks remaining before Maine’s primary elections, the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor are hitting each other and the airwaves with increasingly negative messages. With no recent, publicly available polls, it’s impossible to say whether any Democrat or Republican has a sizable lead over their competitors headed into the June 12 […]
Franklin County Democrats to learn about ranked choice voting
FARMINGTON — The Franklin County Democratic Committee will meet from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at Mallett School. The guest speaker will be Abbie Ryder of The Chamberlain Project Foundation. Ryder’s nonpartisan presentation will address the impact, pros and cons of ranked-choice voting. An “Act to Implement Ranked-choice Voting in 2021” will be […]
Briefly: Region
Vietnam War Remembrance Day JAY — A Vietnam War Remembrance Day program will take place from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, March 30, at VFW Post 3335. Sponsoring the event will be VFW Post 3335, American Legion Post 10 and Amvets Post 33. Veterans, spouses, friends and supporters are welcome to share stories and experiences, give […]
Fulford hopes populist appeal leads to win in U.S. House primary
Jonathan Fulford came to Maine to become a farmer. He wound up as a builder. Now he’s constructing a political campaign that he hopes will grow into a groundswell so powerful that it can sweep him all the way to the U.S. Capitol. Fulford, who lives in Monroe, is one of four Democrats vying for […]
Maine ethics commission continues investigating democratic lawmaker
AUGUSTA (AP) — The state ethics commission says it will keep investigating a Democratic lawmaker who didn’t return roughly $2,600 in unspent public campaign funds for two months. The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/2mf3hxH ) reported that Rep. Dillon Bates ended up returning the funds after the commission contacted him 11 times between December and February. […]
Lawmakers get first look at moving Maine back to presidential primaries
AUGUSTA – Lawmakers on the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee got their first look at a bill that would move Maine back to a statewide presidential primary vote. The bill, LD 1673, sponsored by Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, has received broad bipartisan support in its tentative form, including from Republican Gov. Paul LePage. The […]
Handy announces bid for Maine House
LEWISTON – Saying he will not be a typical first-year legislator, Jim Handy is announcing his candidacy for the Maine House District 58 seat. Handy, a Democrat, is seeking to replace retiring Rep. Michel Lajoie, D-Lewiston, who has served four terms in the House. The district includes parts of Lewiston voting Wards 4, 6 and […]