SPRINGVALE, Maine — State Sen. Jon Courtney will make his entry into Maine’s 1st District congressional race official this week.
The Republican from Springvale plans a series of appearances through the southern Maine district on Thursday. Rallies and business walks are planned at each of the locations, in Sanford, Biddeford, Portland, Wiscasset and Waterville.
Courtney is currently the majority leader in the Maine State Senate and has served 10 years in the Legislature. He is the owner of a cleaning business in Springvale.
Courtney is trying to unseat incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who is seeking her third term in the House. He faces a Republican primary challenge by Patrick Calder of Portland.
The picture of him shaking hands with Penguin is all the evidence I need to see to know that he’s unelectable. Somebody should tell him before he wastes a bunch of time and money.
I am sure some one is calling him right now to let him know your very unbiased and objective view of his candidacy .
I suppose you say that tto pictures of the Democrats that shake hands with him? Though Liberal Newspapers may not post them lol
Don’t assume someone will do it; don’t leave it to someone else; do it yourself!
Outside of Springvale, who has even heard of him?
Patrick Calder is a Republican. Why does this article say he is running in a primary against Pingree? Also, way to put up a picture of Courtney where the only truly visible person is LePage… Get your facts straight BDN..
EDIT: They now have changed the ending of the article. Before it said Pingree needed to make it through a primary with Patrick Calder. Now it is correct. Thank you BDN for fixing that
The article doesn’t say that he is running in a primary against Pingree. It says that he is trying to unseat her, and that in order to do that she must first win a primary election against Calder.
Actually, it is not clearly expressed in the article, and it took me a while to figure it out. But, here is my understanding: Calder announced his candidacy as a Republican for the seat Pingree, a Democrat, holds. Courtney, also a Republican, has now also announced he is a candidate for that seat. Pingree is not facing a Primary challenger. So, Calder and Courtney will go into a Republican Primary and the winner will run against Pingree for the seat.
You have accurately described the process. This is Maine Government 101.
Maine does not have an “open” primary. Only registered members of a particular political party may vote to select who will represent that party in the general election. So, anyone who knows that Patrick Calder and Jonathan Courtney are Republicans should clearly understand who is running against whom at this time.
I am curious about Courtney’s reason for entering the race. Both he and Calder are heavy underdogs against Pingree. He didn’t take out nomnation papers until there was speculation that Pingree might run for Olympia Snowe’s U.S. Senate seat, but decided to continue to seek the 1st District seat even after Pingree announced that she would run for re-election to the U.S. House.
Calder, on the other hand, is young and attempting to establish himself in Maine politics. He was the only Republican who filed to run in the Republican primary before the theorizing about Pingree’s political plans. If Calder is planning for the future, even a loss has its advantages because he will gain name recognition with both the Republican Party and the electorate.
What is Courtney’s purpose?
Personally, I would like to see the young newcomer get a shot.
Would love to see someone unseat Chillie, private jetsetter….
When you find someone let us know.
She married well and the Teabillies resent it to no end.
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Good Luck to him!!!!
What kind of a handshake is that? Looks more like their passing love notes.
While being seen doing a ‘grip-and-grin’ with Paulie may be a nice media ‘shot’, it’s hardly qualifying for a House seat. And with Courtney’s comments regarding the now-in-conflict State Bond’s that are a major sore point with LePage, I for one can’t wait to see how Courtney is gonna run as a ‘No Tax Increase, Smaller Gov’t’ Republican when his legislative record has him pushing for more spending thru the State Bond’s that are going to result in more Mainer’s having their tax bill’s jacked up and Maine college student’s being even more in educational debt.
What’s even more potentially entertaining is seeing how LePage endorses Courtney the first time that the media ask him this question. As in Independent, I’m seriously thinking of letting my DISH bill go and just watching the BDN’s coverage of LePage’s political endorsement’s. Comedy does not get any better than this !
If he’s signed Grover Norquists pledge, he won’t be serving the people of Maine.