Angus King may have sucked all of the oxygen out of the room, but there are in fact other people running for the Senate seat vacated by Olympia Snowe.
Were I to profile the Democrats, I am certain I would have plenty of unhappy readers. I doubt anyone much cares what I think of Matt Dunlap, Cynthia Dill or Jon Hinck. Those are the Democrats running, right? Sometimes, with all the announcements of who was not running, it can be hard to keep straight who actually remained after the dust settled.
But let’s be honest, none of these folks is a serious threat to be the next U.S. Senator from Maine.
King is the front-runner, but it seems clear that if he were to lose, it will be to one of the Republicans. They have already engaged King, they will have more money than the Democrats will, they will have more national backing and their base is less likely to be lost to King. So, if it happens that King loses, you will probably have a Republican to thank.
But who are these people? For all the stature that they have — it seems that every high-level constitutional officer currently serving in government is running — the public has mostly not yet gotten to know most of them.
Bill Schneider, the current state attorney general, is clearly the choice of the Snowe machine. Even before it was revealed that he was using her email list to solicit signatures, I had heard a great deal of talk about high-level Snowe people working to promote Schneider as the “consensus choice” to “rally around.”
Schneider is also a mostly white sheet, politically. We just don’t know what he believes or why, but Snowe’s support has already made many believe he is a moderate, though he has taken some solidly conservative positions, such as joining the multistate lawsuit against the health care reform bill.
Charlie Summers, the perpetual candidate, is probably one of the best known in the field, having run for Congress multiple times in the 1st District. He has a long career in public service, is an Iraq veteran and seems genuinely liked by everyone. Having worked for Snowe in the past, but also having been visible in the same-day voter registration fight, his politics are a mix. More conservative than Snowe, less conservative than other candidates. The Goldilocks candidate, if you will.
Rick Bennett is often touted as the best pure politician in the field. Out of government — but not out of politics — for a decade, he is clean of much of the poison associated with recent political tussles. He hasn’t had to take a position on many issues, and can basically make his own image how he wants. While viewed as a conservative by many, he has also flirted with environmental issues and is a supporter of Maine’s clean election law, so some will complain.
Bruce Poliquin is one of the most visible members of Gov. LePage’s inner circle, for good and for ill, and will be out there claiming to be the most conservative candidate in the race, which he may very well be. Questions remain about his viability as a general election candidate, after a lackluster performance in the gubernatorial campaign of 2010, the kerfuffle over his private beach club and his ties to LePage.
But he will have plenty of money, and if he can solve those problems, he could certainly make some noise.
Debra Plowman, my old state legislator, is mentioned less than the others, but that will likely change soon. Unquestionably conservative — and the only woman in the primary — she will be a force to contend with, so long as she is able to raise the money necessary to mount a credible campaign. I see a scenario where she becomes the conservative option and takes the primary.
This is only a small snapshot of who these people are, but a good start. All can win, though it will be difficult for all of them. All are more conservative than Snowe, but most are quite a bit less conservative than LePage. That is a good place to be in, both for the primary and the general election, and it will be very interesting to see who gets the upper hand in this race.
Matthew Gagnon, a Hampden native, is a Republican political strategist. He previously worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. You can reach him at matthew.o.gagnon@gmail.com and read his blog at www.pinetreepolitics.com.
Bennett would be a good chance person. I wonder if Plowman can take the heat sometimes and hope Bruce stays at his private club, he made his choice.
Cute how the lesser known Republicans will be “will be a force to contend with” and for the Democrats it’s “But let’s be honest, none of these folks is a serious threat” with no attempt at providing a basis. I can handle bias, but at least pretend to mount it on something.
Gagnon’s a right winger, hence the bias. And he’s dreaming. The large progressive/moderate majority inMaine would elect any of the three Dems over any of the right wingers in a heartbeat. Summers will get it, and he’s very damaged over all his nonsense with voting rights. He is one of the TeaNuts’ “Two Charlies,” and he is very damaged goods. Also, there is already at least one right wing Independent in the race as well which will drain off some of the TeaNuts. But I think this is King’s to lose, and he won’t lose.
Had a call from Debra Plowman concerning a meeting for signature gathering–very unimpressive–and combined with her support of Steve Abbott in the 2010 primary who was known to be very pro-abortion and pro-gay rights, then her credibility should be questioned when it comes to pro-lifers. She proved her unwillingness to stand by her so-called convictions and principles.
If Plowman is too “liberal” for you, then I guess you wouldn’t be happy with anyone unless they could somehow get Glenn Headcase Beck, Rush OxyEater Limpmind, or some other such whacko to come up to Maine and run on your side. Don’t like abortion? Then don’t have one. Don’t like gay rights? Then don’t be gay. Otherwise, stop being a pure hyprocrite, actually ACT on all that “freedom” and “small government” talk you people like to blather about all the time, and keep the government out of those PRIVATE decisions. It is none of your business. So butt out.
She did a wonderful job plowing my driveway when I lived in Hampden!
No mention of the non-entity, loser-before-he-starts, truth-challenged Scott D’Amboise???
That’s exactly as it should be!
Gagnon gets it right again!
P.S. The Smart Money’s on Bill Schneider.
You lost me at Charlie Summers “seems genuinely liked by everyone.”
Seriously?
I see Debra Plowman gathering the grass roots campaign groundswell. Poliquin makes a great treasurer- he should stay there. Summers? I think his polling numbers are down in the range of those who truly supported ending same day registration…I don’t know much about Schneider, but I don’t like hand-picked successors on principle. Bennett didn’t impress me when I heard him speak recently. And, who is D’Amboise??
Plowman for Senate.
Anyone but a Republican!
Please, Schneider ? His position’s change depending on how hard he’s getting beaten up in the press at any given point in time. And with the recent Penguin ‘problem’, we are all STILL waiting to see his opinion on the tax implication’s. Summer’s being liked is nothing more than a political ‘bomb shelter’ that he’s hiding in. Add that to his almost fanatical ‘nationalist’ position on Voter Registration, and his correspondingly Driver’s Liscense program, clearly show he’s only 1 very short step right of Atilla the Hun as far as actually representing Maine voter’s goes. As far as The Penguin is concerned, well, is anyone really that dumb or are we all so stupid and blind that we will all jump of the cliff, hand in hand, singing the GOP version of Kumbayah ? And Debbie Plowman, to date that she’s been seen, is so scared to come out of Augusta and her home district that if she’s ever to be seen as a serious candidate then she had better get off her keester and realize that there’s a State beyond Augusta, north of Watervlle / Bangor, and start ‘making the round’s’, outside of her own little group of ‘friend’s’ and campaign contributor’s, with a real, on paper, legislative plan that she’s got her name signed to that she’s going to have to fight for and defend.
I’m an Independent and so far, that anyone’s shown me, there isin’t a one that could run and win my vote for dogcatcher, much less U.S. Senator. And since I wasn’t here when King was Governor, well, he’s gonna have to do something besides keep reminding everybody that he WAS Governor. Stake out his principle’s and position’s, put his legislative plan and goal’s on paper, sign them and defend them, no matter what’ said and then he might have a chance. But until I see that Plan on paper, with his John Hancock on it, all the hoopla don’t mean moose spit as far as I’m concerned. November is coming and the time for King to show his ‘Hole Card’ is now, not when he cry’s over his loss and ‘almost won it’ press conference’s.
It’s Plowman by double digits, which is a measure of how far right the Maine GOP has drifted.
Matt, in an earlier post, you questioned my assertion that Dixiecrats supported the New Deal. I googled the vote on the passage of the Social Security Act. Only one Democrat opposed it and there were some (I believe 8) Democrats not voting or not present. As there were at least 22 Dixiecrat Senators (the eleven states of the old Confederacy x 2) and really 28 if one counts Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri, I think I am historically correct. Dixiecrats also supported the TVA, FDR’s infrastructure projects, and rural electrification, because they had a dramatic positive effect on their states. Only when Truman confronted the issue of race did the party begin to divide.
Even in the 1960s, no Southern Democrat was talking of undoing anything that FDR had done. Now, Southern Republicans wish to dramatically reconfigure both the New Deal and the Great Society programs.