Mills, LaMarche qualify for state elections funds

Gubernatorial hopefuls Peter Mills and Pat LaMarche are poised to qualify for public funding of their primary campaigns after submitting enough qualifying donations to state elections officials in advance of today’s deadline.

Officials with the Maine Commission of Governmental Ethics and Elections Practices said Monday that both Mills, a Republican, and LaMarche, of the Maine Green Independent Party, had turned in more than 2,600 donations of $5 each.

That’s about 100 more donations than needed to qualify for public funding under the Maine Clean Elections Act.

The act allows legislative and gubernatorial candidates to use public money for political campaigns if they demonstrate enough public support and agree to abide by certain spending limits.

Mills, a state senator from Cornville, and LaMarche, the Greens’ 1998 nominee for governor, each will receive $200,000 in public money for their respective primaries if state elections officials certify their submissions, as expected.

The candidates would join state Sen. Chandler Woodcock, a Farmington Republican, on the list of publicly funded gubernatorial candidates.

In what is seen as the most competitive primary contest this year, Mills and Woodcock will face former U.S. Rep. David Emery in the June GOP primary. Emery, of St. George, is running a privately financed campaign.

Under the Clean Elections law, Mills and Woodcock could qualify for up to an additional $400,000 for the primary if Emery spends more than $200,000 in the race.

Mills on Monday called the act of qualifying for public money an “extremely difficult task,” and attributed his success to his campaign’s volunteers.

“It took a strong statewide organization to get it done, and I’m blessed to have one,” said Mills, an attorney.

LaMarche, of Yarmouth, is running unopposed in her bid for the Green Party nomination. As a result, she is all but assured another $400,000 – and perhaps as much as $800,000 – in public funds for the general election in November.

The Greens’ prospective nominee said Monday that the money essentially levels the playing field, much in the same way as independent Gov. Angus King’s personal fortune did in his first run for the Blaine House.

“Angus King used his personal wealth to upset the apple cart,” LaMarche said of the independent governor’s successful – and largely self-financed – candidacy. “This time, it’s the wealth of the people of Maine that will upset the apple cart.”

Democratic Gov. John Baldacci of Bangor is running a privately financed campaign, as is his primary opponent, Christopher Miller of Gray.

Independent gubernatorial candidates have until June 2 to submit the needed donations. Of the eight independents actively working to secure a place on the ballot, six are seeking public financing.

Jim Libby, a Republican from Buxton, was the first gubernatorial hopeful ever to qualify for public financing in his 2002 primary campaign against the eventual GOP nominee, Peter Cianchette of South Portland.

Libby on Monday said collecting the 2,500 qualifying checks was one of the hardest things he has ever done.

While difficult, he added, the task should be made even more challenging by increasing the number of $5 donations to 3,000.

“I think there’s a real need to weed out who is a legitimate candidate and who is not really part of the political landscape,” he said.