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What we're reading
— A special Maine Senate election in Hancock County is a testing ground for the top campaign narratives of 2022, but Democrats have a head start there behind a wave of outside spending and a wide lead in early absentee votes.
— The island town of Southport may pull the plug on a municipal broadband project this month in a vote colored by a counteroffer from Spectrum. If it is voted down, there would be hundreds of thousands in sunk costs.
— Maine cracked down on small-time meth dealers. Then bigger ones moved in, making the drug as prevalent as ever because of undiminished demand.
— The company that conducted a botched search for a new University of Maine at Augusta president is leading searches for two new system higher-ups.
— Progressives in Portland have launched a last-minute drive to get an aggressive economic agenda on the November referendum ballot, including an $18 minimum wage. The leader of the local chamber of commerce said the proposals would "jeopardize everything that makes up the heart of Portland." |
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Campaign news and notes
— National Democrats put down nearly $1.9 million in Maine as part of their first round of TV ad reservations in House races across the country with Golden near the top of their list of vulnerable incumbents. He is likely to face a rematch with former Rep. Bruce Poliquin, but the latter faces a Republican primary this month against underdog Liz Caruso.
— Spending has ballooned in the Democratic district attorney primary in Cumberland County from a group funded by Democratic megadonor George Soros. It has now spent $322,000 with another $56,000 of in-kind contributions. All of it is to boost challenger Jackie Sartoris in her race against incumbent Jonathan Sahrbeck. The outside spending has made it the most expensive district attorney race in Maine history by a huge margin.
— There is some intrigue in a Maine House primary in Sanford. House Democrats' campaign arm, which generally does not get involved in primaries, spent roughly $5,700 recently to back John McAdam against primary foe Patricia Kidder. She is endorsed by the progressive Maine People's Alliance.
BDN writer Jessica Piper contributed to this item. |
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| Sam Green of Belfast runs one of his model trains around a miniature, fictional version of the city that he built in his basement on Friday. (BDN photo by Linda Coan O'Kresik) |
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| 📷 Lead photo: A group of roughly 200 students marched through downtown Portland before converging outside the office of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, where they demanded the Republican vote to ban assault-style weapons. (Maine Public photo by Patty Wight) |
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