House Dems hold edge in initial filings

AUGUSTA – Seeking to extend a general election winning streak dating to 1974, Democrats apparently have fielded candidates for all but one of the 151 seats in the Maine House of Representatives.

“We feel very good about it,” said House Majority Whip William Norbert, D-Portland.

Republicans signaled they do not intend to concede control of the House without a fight, entering races in all but about a dozen districts.

On the Senate side, the GOP placed candidates for all 35 seats as Friday’s deadline passed.

Democrats, who have held an edge in the Senate for most of the last two decades, left three vacancies in the districts represented by Senate President Richard Bennett, R-Norway, deputy Republican floor leader Paul Davis of Sangerville and Sen. Betty Lou Mitchell of Etna.

Bennett, however, had company in his district on the Republican side of the ledger. Also filed as a GOP candidate in Senate District 25 was Rep. Paul Waterhouse of Bridgton, who is completing his fourth House term.

Democrats now hold an 89-61 advantage over Republicans in the House, with one independent.

The Senate, which was deadlocked at 17-17-1 after the November 2000 elections, conditionally swung in favor of the Democrats this month when a special election held after the death of Republican incumbent Joel Abromson of Portland tilted toward Democrat Michael Brennan of Portland.

The heated five-way special election in Senate District 27, composed of Falmouth, Long Island and part of Portland, was viewed by officials of both major parties and other political observers as a test run for this fall’s statewide contests.

The jousting between Democrats and Republicans over the outcome of the March 5 vote, with a recount review by a special Senate panel still pending, has heightened expectations of a sharp statewide battle leading up to November’s general elections.

For candidates seeking to qualify for public financing of their campaigns, another deadline looms. The qualifying period runs through April 16 for party candidates.

A House candidate must collect $5 qualifying contributions from 50 registered district voters; Senate candidates need $5 contributions from 150 voters registered in the district.

Looking further ahead, party primary elections are scheduled for June 11.