AUGUSTA, Maine — In the latest federal campaign finance reports, which were due on Sunday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud tops all of Maine’s U.S. House candidates — from either district — with $714,192 raised in his campaign.
Reports with the Federal Election Commission show Michaud with $497,398 in cash on hand after raising $200,413 during the first quarter of 2012. But Michaud’s Republican challenger in the 2nd District, Kevin Raye, says his campaign outpaced the incumbent in contributions from Mainers during the first three months of 2012.
Raye, the Maine Senate president who filed his candidacy in January, has raised $152,476 during the campaign so far, and all of that fundraising took place between Jan. 1 and March 31. Raye’s campaign announced Monday that of the Republican’s total, nearly $152,000 of it came from individual donors, with 89 percent of those donors being Mainers.
In comparison, he said, Michaud raised $84,703 from individual donors during the first quarter of 2012.
“The numbers out today reflect just how fully Congressman Michaud has embraced his Washington-insider status, literally becoming the PAC-man of the Maine Congressional delegation,” said Kathie Summers-Grice, spokeswoman for the Raye campaign, in a statement.
Raye reports $115,900 in cash on hand.
In southern Maine’s 1st District, Democratic incumbent Rep. Chellie Pingree reports $512,744 in contributions overall and $173,651 in cash on hand in her campaign for a third term.
“Last quarter, over 1,800 people contributed to Chellie’s campaign,” Kate Simmons, Pingree’s campaign manager, told the Bangor Daily News. “We’re thrilled with the grass-roots enthusiasm and support that there is for Chellie, and we’re going to keep working hard to win on Election Day.”
Republican challenger Patrick Calder, a Portland mariner, reported having $617.85 on hand at the end of the quarter after having raised $475 during the period.
Figures for another Republican candidate, state Senate Majority Leader Jon Courtney of Springvale, were not immediately available. FEC spokeswoman Judith Ingram said Monday candidates are only required to file campaign finance reports when they cross the $5,000 threshold in raised or spent funds. She said Courtney’s statement of candidacy was posted on March 21, just 10 days before the quarter ended, so it’s likely the campaign is in its early stages and had not yet included significant fundraising by the end of the quarter.
Ingram also said U.S. Senate candidates are not required to file campaign finance reports electronically, and paper filings can take up to a week to process. None of the Maine candidates for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe — a field that includes four Democrats, six Republicans and one independent — were posted to the FEC database by Monday afternoon.
Independent candidate Angus King’s campaign volunteered the former two-term governor’s fundraising progress in a news release, however. King’s campaign announced it had $142,322 on hand after raising $135,820 “in the first two weeks of the campaign.”
Campaign manager Kay Rand said King has set a goal of raising between $3 million and $5 million for the campaign.
“We are pleased that the donations have come so quickly,” Rand said in a statement. “People know that the partisan gridlock that is crippling our country must change. … We expect big outside money, with heavy partisan influence, to come flooding into Maine, which means we will have to raise a significant amount.”
Seeking the Republican nomination for Senate are state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, state Attorney General William Schneider, Secretary of State Charlie Summers, former Senate President Rick Bennett, Lisbon businessman Scott D’Amboise and state Sen. Debra Plowman. On the Democratic side, state Sen. Cynthia Dill, former Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, state Rep. Jon Hinck and Portland builder Benjamin Pollard are running for the party nod.
Think about it for a minute.
Why do so many give to Mike?
What is the going price of a congressman these days?
How much for a no vote Mike?
Why do we give money to Mike, to keep people like you, and Raye out of office!
That’s a pretty lousy reason to support a candidate, not to mention an incumbent.
I wouldn’t vote for Kevin Raye, if he was a Democrat.
Don’t you find it interesting that the Chiancette’s can donate up to $750.00 per person as a private donation towards LePage’s last campaign, and that their were alot of Chiancette’s that donated?……It’s like, every other name! And they now have a family member being employed by this governor?
Get over yourself, there’s no way a democrat can outspend a republican candidate at the grass roots level.
The old saying is, “It’s not how you start a contest, it’s how you finish the contest.” I suspect Kevin Raye, the Republican candidate will have more soft and hard money before this race is too far into the campaign. We haven’t seen anything yet from the DC lobbying organization that has been paying him to speak out on public policy while being an public elected official, elected to speak out on public policy. Too surreal to be so blatant and expect a distrusting public to buy in to who he’s speaking for. Michaud, while I do not always agree with all of his votes in Congress, at least isn’t bought and paid for by a DC Lobbying group.
Charlie Pray – One supposes you have proof of your allegations regarding the DC firm and its supposed payments to Senator Raye, and the unethical behavior you allege. Otherwise, I’m certain you wouldn’t write such libelous statements. Right?
Meanwhile, Michaud may not be “bought and paid for” by a DC lobbying group (at least that we know about), but that doesn’t make him a good representative for Maine.
I’m sure ALEC, the Koch Brothers, and the Trilateral Commission, and the Illuminati are behind Kevin Raye. When a D raises all this money, it’s not dirty at all.
Precisely.
You are desperate aren’t you? The man shares the longest term as Senate President of Maine..with republican Joe Sewall.. Do you honestly think that he is going to post something on this page that he can’t back up!!? Log on!
And did you notice how Mr. Pray indicated that “he doesn’t always agree with Michaud”……….that’s what makes us democrats, we can disagree and vote accordingly, but still be welcomed as democrats. Try that in your republican /tea party leadership party. You will end up like Olympia did, frustrated and exhausted.
If I do would YOU denounce Raye’s run for Congress?
As I wrote previously, I might, but only if you pay back the state for your years as the crony state Nuclear Safety Advisor in Maine. Must have been a nice Baldacci reward for all that campaign support. How many years is it, since Maine has had a nuclear power plant? How many years did you make $100K per year, plus benefits, for not much in the way of benefit to Maine residents?
You are bordering on pathetic. You have no idea what you are talking about, but you’ve been reading or coached as to what to say to him. Every time he responds, you do not answer his remarks, you simply continue on with your rhetoric and nonsense.
I will say this, when he served as my senator, he served well, he cared about his district and, if his electorate wanted him to vote a certain way, he did so, despite his own opinion. That’s representation, that’s what these legislators are now figuring out.
A federal position, is a federal position. I can say for a FACT, that John Baldacci and Charlie Pray were never political buddies, Baldacci ran for the Presidency twice in the Senate, and lost twice. I’ve seen Senator Pray, by the bang of a gavel, halt discussion regarding legislation that Baldacci , and the republicans, were in favor of he did so as Baldacci rose to speak, (thats a sign that Charlie didn’t want to hear it). He did so because he knew that the discussion would be taken up the next day. I’ve seen Senator Pray having to call the MSP, to go to Bangor to escort the absent then senator Baldacci to the State House in order to vote!! The then Gov. Baldacci, recognized that Senator Pray was the best selection to the federal post. That’s it.
Your insinuation that Baldacci and Senator Pray are kissing cousins………is absolutely wrong.
http://politicalpulse.sunjournal.com/post/14987303500/national-trade-group-paid-raye-to-fight-health-care-law
http://www.maine.gov/ethics/pdf/soi/2010/senate/RAYE.pdf
Lol, Michaud is BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY NANCY PELOSI! Her PAC gives him most of his money and he gives her his vote in the house.
That evil Nancy Pelosi daughter of Satan she is the only one in the county with a PAC that does this. Read how an upstanding Republican spends her PAC money:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/07/sarah-palin-paid-almost-14000-to-decorate-her-tour-bus-and-more-from-sarahpacs-fec-report/
He may not get as much as you think. They are going to have to spend big money to fight King for senate…or are they?
Mike/congress
Angus/senate
Did I not see a report during Mike’s last election that showed a substantial amount from George Soros, the billionaire who controls the puppet strings over Obama?
If you did link to it. Otherwise it is a rumor started by an anonymous internet comment maker.
Michaud’s top 100 donors for his last election did not include Soros.
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cid=N00024770&cycle=2012&type=I&newMem=N&recs=100
…says the other anonymous internet comment maker…..
Well we know the Koch brothers didn’t donate any money to him.
let not kid ourselves, chellie pingree has $1,000,000,000 in cash on hand.
And if she does , what does that have to do with this congressional district?
It means that at any time, when she feels she needs it, she can write herself a check for however much she feels like she needs or wants to slime and destroy her GOP opponent. How can you think it DOESN’T have something to do with this congressional district?
First of all, she has her own campaign to run. A million bucks, isn’t much now is it Matt when it comes to national politics? Secondly, why would she offer money to “destroy her GOP opponent”, when she needs to concentrate on HER opponent, not Rep. Michaud’s?
You really ought not to speak of “slime”, the desperate candidates running for Olympia’s seat are going to get beat by an independent, third party, middle of the road ex governor. If she really cared, she would donate money to him, not Michaud, he won’t need it, because his opponent has his own record to account for, DC and this past legislative session. Mike will be fine Matt, and you know that.
And Matt, you should really try harder to earn your columnist wages…..do you know how long I looked at your last? Who gives a damn about Steve Abbot!! who cares? but it was on my web page for at least 2 months…..nothing else. Hope you found much more suitable housing there in Washington, as I’m sure that you did.
Golly. Pity the poor grouse, hiding in the bushes with all this competition for the name.
Can you enlighten me? As too what you are talking about?
Competition for names? , you wanna go ahead and explain your party’s republican candidates for Senator Snowe’s seat? They were, operative word there, were, on the same team! Neither one of them deserve the nomination, and neither one will win the election. And all you got is that the incumbent in the 1st congressional district has a million bucks……..Big deal! Michaud don’t need her money, won’t need it, and probably doesn’t want it.
She probably won’t need it, YOU need to be worried on who she helps out. Now that’s the partridge in the pear tree. Obviously the State Treasurer has much more money to spend then anyone, he must, he can’t seem to stop himself from investing, even after his fellow tea party, now opponent, republican attorney general told him to back off?? Wanna talk about grouse’s in the bush, I can go on, and on, and on…….
Just like she did with Dean Scontras.
If that on its own is a bad thing, then I am sure that Mitt Romney will not be getting your vote.
just call it like i see it. dont worry barry will spend more then mitt so i assume you’ll be sitting out this election? yeah, didnt think so.
We have the best congress money can buy . . .
(This is a non-partisan comment.)
If only it weren’t true. It seems that by the time most CongressCritters reach DC, they’re so bought and paid for it’s almost impossible for them to break the habit.
Do you apply that to Kevin Raye with his DC lobbying payola while serving as an elected official at the same time?
Let’s see your own books, Charlie, particularly during your years with the Clinton administration.
Stones and clean windows.
OK by me. Nothing there, no double payrolls, no conflicts
No response, apparently has to wait for the next email from Charlie Webster, { outbox} what do I say now?……………{Inbox from Webster} I dunno, I’m looking for at least one friend! figure it out yourself!
http://influenceexplorer.com/politician/mike-michaud/55cd304a9dfb4582b2c721470c25bce1
It appears Mr Michaud is bought and paid for by the unions. Nothing wrong with that but I suppose if an issue arises in Washington that is detrimental to most of his constituents but good for the unions that Mr Michaud will have no choice but to give the unions what they paid for. It’s the same on both sides of the aisle folks, Michaud is nothing more than a Washington insider bought and paid for by a special interest group.
He’s always gotten his majority of money from corporation PACs. He doesn’t claim it’s from individual Maine doners. On the other hand;
“Last quarter, over 1,800 people contributed to Chellie’s campaign,” Kate Simmons, Pingree’s campaign manager, told the Bangor Daily News. “We’re thrilled with the grass-roots enthusiasm and support that there is for Chellie, …”
1800 people ?? Last campaign on the FEC website showed the vast majority of individuals were from other states with New York and Connecticut in the lead. And a lot of them were Sussman relatives, associates in his business, employees and associates outside of his business in the speculation game. And their connections. 1800 doesn”t make it MAINE GRASSROOTS. Guess we’ll have to go to the FEC individual itemized and unitemized contribution site and identify the “individuals and WHERE THEY LIVE!!!
I would really like to see this guy retired.