Michaud, Raye fill, spend war chests for showdown

The two candidates vying for Maine’s open 2nd Congressional District seat are lining their campaign coffers, gearing up for their November showdown to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. John Baldacci.

Democrat Mike Michaud raised – and spent – more than Republican opponent Kevin Raye in the last reporting period, according to reports filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission.

Michaud, a state senator from East Millinocket, raised $98,257 by the June 30 deadline, bringing his total to $404,457. Raye, a former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, raised $80,530 in that time and boosted his total to $326,024.

While Michaud outspent Raye $128,728 to $126,648 between May 23 and June 30, it was Raye who ended the day with more money in the bank.

Raye, declared the winner of the GOP nomination after a recount that stretched into late June, had $54,172 compared to $47,200 for Michaud, who bested five rivals in his party’s primary.

Although Raye aides said the uncertainty of the recount curtailed his fund-raising efforts, they nevertheless were buoyed by the June numbers.

“We felt caught behind the eight ball,” Raye campaign manager Kathie Summers said Monday. “Frankly, this bodes well for our campaign.”

Likewise, the Michaud camp saw good news in its fund-raising totals.

“The breadth of our support speaks well for our prospects this November,” Michaud said in a statement.

With control of the House in the balance, party leaders are keeping a close eye on the crucial race, in which both Raye and Michaud are expected to spend upwards of $1 million in the hunt to replace Baldacci, who stepped aside to run for governor.

The parties’ national committees have already taken active roles in the race, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee releasing a poll last week showing Michaud holding a 9 percentage point lead over Raye.

In order to fuel their high-profile campaigns, both candidates have turned to traditional donors, with Michaud raking in tens of thousands of dollars from labor unions and Raye receiving similar amounts from business groups.

But it’s the candidates’ improbable alliances that are raising eyebrows in Washington.

Raye, a pro-choice Republican with positions similar to that of Maine’s moderate senior senator, Olympia Snowe, has won financial support – including $5,000 donations from the Planned Parenthood Federation and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League – from groups better known for supporting Democratic tickets.

Michaud, a pro-life Democrat – although he has vowed to oppose any attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade – has found some unlikely friends of his own, winning primary support from both the National Rifle Association and tobacco giant Philip Morris Companies Inc.

Michaud aides stress that the $4,000 in tobacco money – considered taboo by some candidates – was raised at an event co-hosted by the National Food Processors Association, of which Philip Morris, a subsidiary of Kraft Foods, is a member.