United States Senate election in Maine, 2018

United States Senate election in Maine, 2018
Maine
November 6, 2018
 
Nominee Angus King
Party Independent Republican Democratic
U.S. Senator before election

Angus King
Independent

 Elected U.S. Senator

TBD

The 2018 United States Senate election in Maine will be held on November 6, 2018, alongside a gubernatorial election, U.S. House elections, and other state and local elections. Incumbent independent Senator Angus King has indicated he will seek reelection to a second term.

This U.S. Senate election is scheduled to be the first in Maine to be conducted with ranked choice voting, as opposed to a simple plurality, after voters passed a citizen referendum approving the change in 2016.[1]

Independents

Sen. King has stated that his re-election plans will not be affected by treatment for prostate cancer, which he announced he had on June 22, 2015.[2]

Candidates

Declared

Republican Primary

Maine Governor Paul LePage made a statement on Howie Carr's radio program on January 12, 2015 that he might run for U.S. Senate against King, citing King's switching his endorsement in the 2014 gubernatorial election from independent candidate Eliot Cutler to Democratic candidate Mike Michaud as a "horrible thing to do".[4] LePage stated the next day that the comment was a joke, [3] though on an August 25, 2015 appearance on Carr's program, he said he was "very strongly" considering running, citing King's caucusing with Senate Democrats. [5] He has also criticized King for his involvement in the Maine wind energy industry, saying King "ripped us off by $104 million during his eight years as governor – he ripped us off, royally, and I can’t wait until 2018 because I’m thinking that’s the guy I’m going after." A spokesman for King dismissed LePage's criticism. [6]

About 100 self-proclaimed progressive Mainers have signed a Moveon.org petition encouraging LePage to enter the race, not because they want to see him win, but because they want to see him lose to King. The petition states "Your opponents deserve the delicious schadenfreude of watching the Hindenberg-level disaster that a LePage Senate campaign will deliver." [7]

LePage announced at a town hall meeting in Oakland on May 10, 2016 that he would run against King unless he was hired by a potential Donald Trump administration should Trump win election as President of the United States. [8]

Candidates

Potential

General election

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Angus
King (I)		 Paul
LePage (R)		 Others Undecided
Colby College/Boston Globe September 4–10, 2016 779 ± 3.6% 59% 37% — 4%
University of New Hampshire June 15–21, 2016 467 ± 4.5% 63% 29% 3% 5%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Maine became the first state in the country Tuesday to pass ranked choice voting". Boston Globe. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  2. ↑ Brogan, Beth (June 22, 2015). "Sen. Angus King to have surgery for prostate cancer". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "LePage says comment about Senate run a joke". WMTW-TV. January 13, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  4. ↑ Miller, Kevin (January 12, 2015). "LePage says he's considering Senate run against King". WMTW-TV. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  5. ↑ Thistle, Scott (August 25, 2015). "LePage tells Howie Carr he may challenge Angus King in 2018". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ Graham, Gillian (April 13, 2016). "LePage giving 'very serious thought' to challenging King for Senate seat". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  7. ↑ Tipping, Mike (May 2, 2016). "Progressives demand Gov. LePage challenge King for U.S. Senate". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Gov. LePage says he'll take on Angus King". WGME-TV. May 11, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
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