Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

GOVERNOR'S RACE

Today will winnow 'gaggle' down to 2

2 winners will then face each other, independents

By Susan M. Cover scover@mainetoday.com
State House Bureau

AUGUSTA -- Voters will head to the polls today to pick one Democrat and one Republican for the November ballot, with races on both sides seen as highly competitive -- and unpredictable -- right to the end.

click image to enlarge

JUST A TEST: City of Gardiner employees Cathy Pelletier, left, and Joyce Tillson test voting machines with sample ballots Monday at the city hall. Democrat and Republican primaries as well as state wide referendums will be decided Tuesday at Maine polling places.

Staff photo by Andy Molloy

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POLLING PLACES, TIMES

Augusta: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m., Augusta Civic Center north wing
Belgrade: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Community Center For All Seasons
China: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Town Office
Dresden: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Pownalborough Hall
Farmingdale: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Hall-Dale Middle School
Fayette: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Starling Hall
Gardiner: 7:30 a.m. - 8 p.m., Boys & Girls Club
Hallowell: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Hall-Dale Elementary School
Jefferson: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., fire station
Litchfield: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Litchfield Sportsman’s Club
Manchester: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. fire station, Route 17
Monmouth: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Cumston Hall
Mount Vernon: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Community Center
Palermo: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Town Office
Pittston: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Town Office
Randolph: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Town Office
Readfield: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Town Office
Richmond: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Richmond High School
Sidney: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Town Office
Somerville: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Somerville Elementary School
Vassalboro: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Town Office
Vienna: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Community Center
Washington: 10 a.m.- 8 p.m., Gibbs Library
Wayne: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Ladd Recreation Center
West Gardiner: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., fire station.
Whitefield: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Town House.
Windsor: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Town Hall
Winthrop: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Town Office

Seven Republicans and four Democrats are fighting for the right to represent their parties this fall.

"I don't think anyone can handicap this one," said Charlie Webster, chairman of the Maine Republican Party. "It's a very difficult race to call."

The Republican field -- the largest since 1994, when eight Republicans competed in the governor's race primary -- features Steve Abbott, former chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Susan Collins; Bill Beardsley, former president of Husson University; Matt Jacobson, chief executive of Maine & Co., which works to attract companies to Maine; Waterville Mayor Paul LePage, general manager of Marden's; State Sen. Peter Mills, a lawyer; and businessmen Les Otten and Bruce Poliquin.

On the Democratic side, the field includes Patrick McGowan, former Department of Conservation commissioner; Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell; Steve Rowe, former attorney general; and Rosa Scarcelli, president and chief executive officer of Stanford Management, a housing company.

Webster, who is not publicly backing any candidate in the GOP race, was on the 1994 primary ballot, as was Augusta lawyer Sumner Lipman.

Lipman -- a Mills supporter -- said that, with a field this big, a candidate can be the victor with a relatively small number of votes.

"The key for each candidate is to get people out to vote," he said. "It's not going to take a large number of voters to swing the election one way or another."

Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said recently that turnout tends to be in the range of 15 percent 20 percent in primaries.

Mary Adams, who also competed in the 1994 GOP primary, said it's hard for candidates to stand out when there's such a large field. Collins won the primary with 21 percent of the vote, but lost in the general election.

"It's like a gaggle of people," said Adams, who is not publicly supporting any candidate. "When you get that many, it's hard to break out of the pack."

While Democrats have a smaller field, no one candidate has a clear path to victory.

Scarcelli appears to be making a late push by loaning herself an additional $248,000 since the May 28 campaign finance report deadline, according to documents filed with the state. Most of that money has been spent on television advertising.

The Maine Democratic Party has planned a "unity press conference" for Wednesday in Portland, said Arden Manning, coordinated campaign manager for the party.

"What it really shows is the party is unified behind our nominee," he said. "We have a field of candidates who I think genuinely like each other."

The winners of both primaries will face three independents on the November ballot. Shawn Moody, of Gorham; Eliot Cutler, of Cape Elizabeth; and Kevin Scott, of Andover, all have qualified to compete in the election, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

Susan Cover -- 620-7015

scover@centralmaine.com