BANGOR – A hard-fought battle for a spot on the November election ballot was decided Tuesday when Democrats from the city’s west side picked a 24-year-old community organizer seeking his first elective position. With 410 votes, Adam Goode outpaced Gerry Palmer and Roberto Zavaleta in… Read More
    Contested races only – Bangor Daily News unofficial results – some totals may be incomplete Senate googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice())… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Democratic campaigns in Maine’s 1st District race are complaining about independent expenditures made on behalf of one of the six candidates, Adam Cote. Joining the critics is the Maine Bankers Association, which opposes regulatory changes sought by the credit unions. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci on Saturday endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. Maine’s governor made his announcement after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton ended her campaign for the presidency and told supporters to unite behind Obama. Baldacci previously endorsed Clinton. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    The following are contested races for the Maine Legislature in Tuesday’s primary elections: Maine Senate googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice())… Read More
    PORTLAND – Barbra Streisand, Mary Tyler Moore and Stephen King have a financial stake in Maine’s high-profile U.S. Senate race, as do a founding member of the Grateful Dead and a model-turned-actress who made it onto the big screen as a James Bond girl. Contributors… Read More
    HAMPDEN – Dave Higgins is a Democratic candidate for the District 39 seat in the state House of Representatives. The district comprises Dixmont, Hampden and Newburgh. Higgins grew up in the area, graduated from John Bapst High School and attended the University of Maine, where… Read More
    BEAVER COVE – Democrat Jim Glavine of Beaver Cove is a candidate for the District 27 seat in the state House of Representatives. A Maine native, Glavine, 54, has served two consecutive terms as selectman in Beaver Cove, where he has lived with his wife,… Read More
    ORONO – Democrat Elizabeth M. Schneider has announced her candidacy for re-election in state Senate District 30. Schneider, who was twice elected to the Orono Town Council and has served on other panels, is Senate chairman of the Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee and… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Democrat Jayson Allain of Dover-Foxcroft is running for the state House of Representatives in District 26. Allain, 48, is a Maine native, a small-business owner and a registered Maine guide. A sports enthusiast, he is a life member of the Sportsman’s Alliance of… Read More
    FAIRFIELD – Democrat Robert Sezak of Fairfield, the owner of a property management company in his hometown and a used-book store in Waterville, is a candidate for the state Senate District 26 seat. The district runs from Fairfield to Jackman and Rockwood, and includes some… Read More
    “Do you favor a $29,725,000 bond issue for natural resource, agricultural and transportation infrastructure that will leverage $29,780,000 in other funds?” Below is a list of how the bond revenues would be divided: googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
    MANCHESTER – Motorists facing nearly $4-a-gallon prices as they pulled up to the pumps at a Manchester station got a surprise during the afternoon rush hour. They didn’t have to pay federal or state taxes, cutting their bills by 46 cents a gallon. The rebates… Read More
    Second in a series The primary campaign for the Republican nomination to represent Maine’s 1st Congressional District pits a highly recognized party leader and Iraq war veteran against a first-time candidate centered on family values who has shown a strong ability to collar campaign contributions. Read More
    The Bangor Daily News will accept commentary relating to June 10 election issues until noon today and will stop publishing such pieces on June 7. Not all submissions can be published because of space constraints. Read More
    AUGUSTA – One of Maine’s three undeclared “superdelegates” said Tuesday she’s endorsing Barack Obama for president. Jennifer DeChant, Democratic National Committeewoman for Maine, said it became clear after the party’s state convention last weekend that the Illinois senator is the choice of a majority of… Read More
    CRYSTAL – Rep. Henry Joy, R-Crystal, is a candidate for re-election in Maine House District 9. Joy is a retired educator who served as a teacher, junior high baseball, basketball and softball coach, an assistant superintendent and a superintendent. He also served a term on… Read More
    PORTLAND – Newly filed campaign finance reports in Maine’s U.S. Senate race show that Sen. Susan Collins has extended her cash-on-hand advantage over Rep. Tom Allen to more than $2 million. The latest figures are contained in “pre-primary” reports filed with the Federal Election Commission… Read More
    PORTLAND – Grammy Award winner Bonnie Raitt will perform a concert this summer for Tom Allen’s Senate campaign. The singer and musician will play on Aug. 11 at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
    AUGUSTA – While the two major parties have had their state conventions with the floor demonstrations and campaign hoopla, both conventions held intense planning and training sessions for the fall battle over control of the Legislature. “Work on the election started months ago because it… Read More
    AUGUSTA – One by one they walked onstage Saturday evening to talk about why they should be elected to Congress. It wasn’t another debate between the six candidates hoping to win the Democratic Party’s nomination for Maine’s 1st District election this fall, but it could… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Nearly 2,000 Democrats from across the state gathered Friday night in Maine’s capital city to celebrate their party affiliation and to begin a three-day schedule of political speeches and delegate selection. Augusta Civic Center, both inside and out, was plastered Friday with political… Read More
    BANGOR – Robert Zavaleta is a candidate in the June 10 primary for the Democratic nomination for House District 15. Zavaleta lives in a West Side neighborhood with his wife, Patty, and 9-year-old daughter, Julia. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    Three candidates are vying for the Republican nomination in House District 41: Maxwell G. Coolidge of Orland, Kenneth R. Lindell of Frankfort and Warren D. Southworth Sr. of Searsport. The district encompasses the towns of Frankfort, Orland, Prospect, Searsport, Stockton Springs and Verona Island. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    MACHIAS – The two candidates vying for the Republican nomination for House District 32 both said they agree on many issues, but their backgrounds and approaches are another story. David Burns, 58, a former Maine State Police trooper from Whiting, and Tony Maker, 42, an… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – Registered Democrats in several Mount Desert Island towns will have a choice next month when they decide who will represent the party in the race this fall for Maine House District 35. Elsie Flemings and Gary Friedmann, both of Bar Harbor, will… Read More
    WESTBROOK – Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Allen on Wednesday said that if he’s elected he will offer a universal health care plan with a cost of at least $75 billion that would be financed in part by bringing American troops home from Iraq. Allen… Read More
    In the June 10 primary, Judy Alexander of Calais and Martin Ingham of Robbinston will vie to be the Republican nominee for the House District 31 seat now held by Rep. Anne Perry, D-Calais. The district includes Baileyville, Baring, Calais, Charlotte, Indian Township, Perry, Pleasant… Read More
    HAMPDEN – Three well-known community members will vie for the Republican nomination in House District 39 in the June 10 primary election. Hampden Town Councilors Rick Briggs, 47, and Andre Cushing, 49, will face fellow Hampden resident and political newcomer Carol Duprey, 44, in the… Read More
    FORT KENT – The race for the Democratic nomination for Maine Senate District 35 will pit two St. John Valley natives against each other in the June 10 primary. While both Troy Jackson and Gary Pelletier would be newcomers to the Senate, Jackson has spent… Read More
    Two Democratic candidates – Albion Goodwin of Pembroke and Daniel Swain of Machias – are vying in the June 10 primary to be their party’s nominee for the District 2 seat on the Washington County Commission. Republican Commissioner Chris Gardner now holds the seat. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    SKOWHEGAN – Two local men will vie in the June 10 primary for the Democratic nomination in House District 85. Jeffrey McCabe, 30, and Mitchell Snowman, 21, are both young, energetic and eager to serve. McCabe is married with a young daughter and a baby… Read More
    BELFAST – Two newcomers to the Democratic Party electoral process will square off in the June 10 primary to be the party’s nominee to challenge incumbent Sen. Carol Weston, R-Montville, to represent Waldo County in Maine Senate District 23. The primary marks the first time… Read More
    BANGOR – When time came Monday morning to talk about the specifics of America’s policies overseas, Sen. Susan Collins started off on an issue she has mentioned before and is likely to mention again in the months leading up to the Senate election this fall: bipartisanship. Read More
    PORTLAND – U.S. Rep. Tom Allen threw his support behind Sen. Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential nominee and said Monday it’s time for the Democratic primary campaign to come to a “graceful end.” Allen, a superdelegate to this summer’s Democratic national convention, said he… Read More
    THOMASTON – Rep. Christopher W. Rector, R-Thomaston, has announced that he will seek election to the Senate District 22 seat being vacated by Sen. Christine R. Savage, R-Union, who is leaving because of Maine’s term limit law. A three-term representative, Rector is the ranking minority… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Rep. Stacey Allen Fitts, a two-term Republican legislator, announced that he will seek re-election in House District 29, which includes Pittsfield, Detroit and Clinton. Fitts serves on the Legislature’s Utilities and Energy Committee, the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee, and the Joint Rules… Read More
    Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell is a designated superdelegate for the state of New York, meaning his vote at the Democratic National Convention this summer could be pivotal to determining whether Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton wins the party’s presidential nomination. Read More
    AUGUSTA – Republicans attending their party’s convention this weekend gave Sen. Susan Collins a rousing sendoff as she embarked on a campaign for a third term. The crowd of delegates and alternates waved signs, stomped their feet and filled the Augusta Civic Center with cheers… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Maine Republican Party Chairman Mark Ellis wore a grin that could be seen from across the Augusta Civic Center when he stepped to the podium to address the state party convention over the weekend. The more than 2,500 delegates and alternates on the floor represented the… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Valory Slymon has announced that she is running as a Democratic candidate for the House District 29 seat, which includes Pittsfield, Clinton and Detroit. Slymon, 52, is making her first bid for public office. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    AUGUSTA – One-time presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has jumped on the John McCain bandwagon and told a cheering throng of Maine Republicans attending their state convention that he believed the party would retain its hold on the White House. Romney, who… Read More
    PERRY – Republican state Sen. Kevin L. Raye of Perry announced this week that he will seek re-election to a third term in the Maine Senate, representing District 29. The district includes all of Washington County; Eastbrook, Franklin, Great Pond, Osborn, Waltham and unorganized townships… Read More
    BANGOR – Bangor City Councilor Gerry Palmer, a Democrat, has announced his candidacy for the District 15 seat in the Maine House of Representatives. Palmer, a Bangor native, has served on the council since 1998. He was Penobscot County treasurer from 2000 to 2002 and… Read More
    WINSLOW – Wayne Leach of Winslow, a Republican, has announced his candidacy for the District 25 seat in the Maine Senate. District 25 includes Albion, Benton, Clinton, Detroit, Pittsfield, Unity Township, Waterville and Winslow. Leach, 70, was born in Ellsworth and has lived and worked… Read More
    PORTLAND – With the primary election just seven weeks away, money is pouring in at record pace into the coffers of the six Democrats and two Republicans vying for their party’s 1st District nomination. According to the most recent financial reports filed with the Federal… Read More
    The state Senate campaigns for Susan Collins and Tom Allen filed federal fundraising reports Tuesday that showed Collins outpacing her rival in the amount of money raised since Jan. 1. Collins, a Republican incumbent, raised $963,261 since the start of the year, while Allen, a… Read More
    U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, the Democratic incumbent in the 2nd District congressional race, continued to outraise his opponent in campaign funds in the first quarter of 2008. Michaud’s net contributions were slightly more than $120,000 between Jan. 1 and March 31. His total contributions for… Read More
    BANGOR – Sara Stevens has announced that she is a Democratic candidate for the District 17 seat in the Maine House of Representatives. District 17 covers part of Bangor. Stevens, who was born and raised in Bangor, graduated from Bangor High School and received bachelor… Read More
    SURRY – Jonathan W. Walden of Surry has announced that he is a Republican candidate for the District 37 seat in the Maine House of Representatives. Walden, 34, is a Maine native. He said he worked for nine years at the Hannaford Bros. warehouse in… Read More
    BANGOR – Tom Allen got a prime opportunity Monday to talk publicly about one of the issues he has made central to his U.S. Senate campaign. And in doing so, he again criticized Sen. Susan Collins for her record when she was chairwoman of the… Read More
    BANGOR – As part of U.S. Rep. Tom Allen’s swing through the Bangor area on Sunday and Monday, he stopped Monday morning at Eastern Maine Community College to tout a bill he is introducing to help boost the development of high-speed Internet access throughout Maine. Read More
    BANGOR – Steve Butterfield, a resident of Ohio Street in Bangor, announced that he is running as a Democratic candidate for House District 16, which covers part of the city. Butterfield, 25, is a lifelong Mainer who has lived in the area since 2003. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    MACHIASPORT – Republican Tony L. Maker has announced his candidacy for the Maine House of Representatives in District 32. Maker, 42, is principal of the Elm Street School in East Machias. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
    PORTLAND – Amid differences on big issues such as Iraq, health care and the economy, the latest exchanges between Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Tom Allen focus not on how they voted but how often. In speeches and media interviews, Collins has been… Read More
    BANGOR – Green Party presidential candidate Jesse Johnson is in Maine this week as part of a campaign swing through several northeastern states. On Tuesday, Johnson stopped by the Bangor Daily News to talk about some of his reasons for seeking the nation’s top elective… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission early this month reported on its Web site incorrect campaign contribution numbers for all Senate candidates after making an error when transferring the candidates’ paper filings to an electronic version. The numbers have been corrected. The mistake occurred because… Read More
    WASHINGTON – Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ matchup against Democratic Rep. Tom Allen in Maine’s U.S. Senate race is drawing large amounts of money from out-of-state donors, a sign that the race is national in scope and competitive, according to scholars, analysts and officials from both parties. Read More
    David Burns, a Republican from Whiting, announced his candidacy to represent District 32 in the Maine House. A Maine State Police trooper for 24 years, Burns, now retired, has been on numerous local committees in Washington County, including 19 years on the board of trustees… Read More
    Though the general election is eight months away, the two main contenders in Maine’s U.S. Senate race are not waiting until the weather warms up to start criticizing each other. The campaigns of Sen. Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen are confronting each other… Read More
    PORTLAND – Sen. Barack Obama has raised more money in Maine for his presidential bid than any other candidate, according to the Federal Election Commission. Obama, who is vying for the Democratic nomination, raised $466,345 from individual contributors in Maine from January 2007 through January… Read More
    BANGOR – Another independent candidate from southern Maine has thrown his hat into the ring for U.S. Senate. Herbert Hoffman, 75, of Ogunquit, announced his candidacy Wednesday afternoon at the Bangor Motor Inn. He also made announcements earlier Wednesday in Augusta and Portland. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    This year’s federal elections could end up being called “It’s the economy, stupid – Part 2,” according to political observers. For much of the past two years, many have predicted that 2008 would resemble 2006, when Democrats rode a wave of opposition to the Iraq… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats may have seen a record high number of participants at their caucuses Sunday, but the record they apparently broke was not as low or as recent as party officials originally said. State Democratic Party officials said Sunday’s Democratic turnout exceeded the… Read More
    MONROE – The Waldo County Green Party selected former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia as its candidate for president when it caucused here Sunday. McKinney’s name will be sent to the Maine Green Independent Party headquarters in Topsham to be included in the statewide… Read More
    BANGOR – The immediate goal of Sen. Barack Obama when he spoke to a total of about 7,000 people Saturday afternoon in Bangor was to drum up support in the Democratic presidential caucuses held throughout Maine on Sunday. But his remarks suggested he wasn’t thinking… Read More
    WASHINGTON – Hillary Rodham Clinton retains her lead among suddenly critical Democratic Party insiders even as Barack Obama builds up his delegate margin with primary and caucus victories across the country, according to a survey by The Associated Press. Of the 796 lawmakers, governors and… Read More
    ORONO – With her campaign needing a boost, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton received a rousing welcome when she arrived at the University of Maine on Saturday for the first of two campaign stops in Maine. Clinton, who now holds a slight lead over Sen. Barack… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Sen. Barack Obama defeated Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Maine presidential caucuses Sunday, grabbing a majority of delegates as the state’s Democrats overlooked the snowy weather and turned out in record numbers for municipal gatherings. Democrats in 420 Maine towns and cities decided… Read More
    BANGOR – In the past 20 years, only rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd and a few illustrious Maine high school basketball players have filled the Bangor Auditorium the way Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama did Saturday afternoon. The Illinois senator conducted his 4 p.m. “Stand for… Read More
    ORONO – The Wing family didn’t bring their daughters to see Hillary Clinton at the University of Maine on Saturday morning because they are Democrats. They brought their girls so they could see firsthand a strong woman in a leadership role. “I just thought with… Read More
    The Maine Democratic Party will send 10 superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in late August. They are: . Gov. John Baldacci. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
    Dozens of local volunteers and campaign staff members worked late into the night on Friday preparing for today’s visits from Democratic presidential candidates and U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. “We’ll be here as long as they need us,” said Obama supporter Emily Miles,… Read More
    The excitement being generated by today’s visits of Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton to Orono and Sen. Barack Obama to Bangor has rarely been matched in recent local political history. Clinton and Obama are here because this year every delegate to the national convention is critical. It… Read More
    Campaign staff and volunteers for Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are giving one last push in Maine leading up to their visits today and the caucuses Sunday. “Campaign-wise right now we’re really focused on phone calls, making sure everyone knows where… Read More
    Democratic leaders made final preparations Friday for Sunday’s caucuses, which will elect delegates to the state convention and apportion support to each of the candidates. Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Arden Manning said the party had received more than 4,000 absentee ballots by Wednesday’s deadline. Read More
    Below are listed some of each candidate’s policy positions, as listed on their official Web sites. Consult the candidate Web sites for a more complete list of policy objectives. BARACK OBAMA’S GOALS googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
    WASHINGTON – John McCain effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination Thursday as chief rival Mitt Romney suspended his faltering campaign. “I must now stand aside, for our party and our country,” Romney told conservatives. “If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to… Read More
    BANGOR – In a tight race to the Democratic presidential nomination where delegates are at a premium, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama will hold dueling rallies this weekend a few miles apart in Greater Bangor. “I’m looking forward to coming to Maine,” Clinton… Read More
    Local police agencies have increased personnel and are working closely with the U.S. Secret Service to ensure this weekend’s visits by presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama run smoothly. Clinton will hold a “Solutions for America” town hall event Saturday morning at the University… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Sunday’s Democratic caucuses will measure presidential preference among party activists in Maine and lay the groundwork for the spring election of 24 pledged delegates – within an overall delegation of 34 – to the Democratic National Convention in August. Names come later but… Read More
    On Sunday, Feb. 10, Somerset County Democrats will attend caucuses to indicate their preferences among the Democratic presidential candidates. In addition, Democrats in each town will select delegates to this spring’s Maine Democratic Convention, elect municipal officers and county committee members, and discuss policy issues. Read More
    On Sunday, Feb. 10, Piscataquis County Democrats will attend caucuses to indicate their preferences among the Democratic presidential candidates. In addition, Democrats in each town will select delegates to this spring’s Maine Democratic Convention, elect municipal officers and county committee members, and discuss policy issues. Read More
    ELLSWORTH – Because of an anticipated high turnout, the Ellsworth Democratic Caucus on Sunday, Feb. 10, has been relocated to the Ellsworth High School gymnasium. The caucus will begin at 1 p.m., with sign-in and registration for unregistered and unenrolled voters 12:30-1 p.m. For information, contact Bethany Reynolds,… Read More
    CORINTH – The Republican caucus for Corinth will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, at the Corinth town office on Exeter Road. The caucus is open to Corinth residents registered as Republicans. Residents may register before the start of the meeting. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    Because of incorrect information provided to the newspaper, the address of the Democratic caucuses for the towns of Hampden, Dixmont and Newburgh was incorrect in the final edition of Tuesday’s BDN. The caucuses will he held at 1 p.m. Sunday in the community room of the Hampden town… Read More