Politicians recycling candidates

AUGUSTA – As Maine’s era of term limits matures, candidate recycling has become a standard tool for Democrats seeking to maintain their legislative majorities and for Republicans looking to reverse longstanding trends.

Filling out the initial party rosters for the June primary elections this week, 11 Democrats from the House of Representatives are listed as candidates for the Senate while two Senate Democrats – longtime House Speaker John Martin of Eagle Lake and Margaret Rotundo, the Appropriations Committee co-chairwoman from Lewiston – are running for the House. One Republican House member – Christopher Rector of Thomaston – is looking to move to the Senate.

Both major parties, meanwhile, are welcoming numerous former members of the Legislature back to the fold as candidates once again.

The House Democratic Campaign Committee announced that 162 Democrats have filed to run for the House, at least one in all 151 House districts.

“People in every Maine city, town and territory will have the opportunity to vote for a Democratic House candidate this year,” said House Glenn Cummings, D-Portland, in a statement.

Republicans came up short in 11 House districts by Monday’s deadline, but House Minority Leader Josh Tardy of Newport maintains that’s not the end of the story.

Saying “we certainly emphasize quality and experience,” Tardy added, “we expect fiscally conservative unenrolled candidates will wage very energetic campaigns” in at least some of the districts without a Republican hopeful.

Democrats and Republicans both have covered all 35 Senate seats at this point.

Democrats increased their majority in the House by one on Election Day in November as they won three out of five contests to fill vacancies resulting from resignations and deaths.

The results brought the Democratic numerical roster to 90 in the 151-seat House, leaving Republicans with 59. There are two House independents.

In the Senate, Democrats hold an 18-17 edge over Republicans.

A Democratic winning streak in general elections for the House dates to 1974. Republicans have held the Senate outright for only one two-year period since the 1982 elections, although in 2000, statewide voting left the Senate split 17-17, with one independent.

Modern term limits first took effect in 1996 in Maine and in California, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Maine’s move stemmed from a 1993 referendum vote that laid down restrictions on consecutive service in legislative office and for the positions of state treasurer, secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor.

Statewide, a legislative initiative to ease restrictions on consecutive service in office by members of the House and Senate was overwhelmingly rejected by voters.

Question 5 to extend term limits lost 2-1.

The failed proposal would have extended Maine’s present four-term limit to six terms – or from eight consecutive years to 12.