AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Democratic Party is ousting two members of its executive committee for supporting an independent candidate for U.S. Senate instead of the party’ s nominee, Rep. Tom Allen.
Lu Bauer of Brunswick and David Bright of Dixmont have been ejected from their posts for supporting Herbert Hoffman, a former Democrat and now independent. Bright told Maine Public Radio he’ s surprised, but acknowledges he served at the pleasure of the state committee.
Democratic Executive Director Arden Manning says there were some issues about Bright’ s allegiance to Hoffman while Bright was sitting in on meetings in which party strategy might be discussed.
The party action comes in advance of a Maine Supreme Judicial Court decision Monday relating to the Senate race. A Superior Court judge blocked the Democrats from having Hoffman’ s name removed from the November ballot, and the party appealed.