LEWISTON, Maine — In a wholly unscientific but decidedly sweet sampling of voter preference, incumbent Republican Gov. Paul LePage was leading in a dough-slide Tuesday afternoon.
LePage’s likeness, or at least his photo baked on top of a sugar cookie, was the favorite for patrons of Grant’s Bakery on Sabattus Street in the bakery’s Election Day cookie poll.
Doug Grant, the bakery’s co-owner, said LePage’s cookie was outselling ones featuring LePage’s Democratic challenger, Mike Michaud, and independent candidate Eliot Cutler by a wide margin.
By about 3 p.m., the bakery had sold 150 cookies featuring LePage but only 91 featuring Michaud. Trailing in a far distant third was Cutler, with just 12.
Grant said there was no clear explanation for LePage’s runaway lead, but he noted the last candidate to win a Grant’s cookie poll was Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for president, who lost to President Barack Obama in 2012.
“Is this reflective of this being his hometown or is it going to be reflective of the actual vote?” the baker asked. “I guess we will all know in a few hours.”
Grant offered only a good laugh but no guess when asked which of the three candidates he thought could eat the most cookies.
But he did offer one customer a half-price discount on six cookies featuring Cutler, which he said were at least a day old. Another customer quipped that was probably just the way the cookie crumbles.