The special House election on Tuesday in Rockland and Owls Head is already more expensive than every Maine House contest during the 2014 election cycle. But a review of campaign spending data shows one major departure from high-spending legislative races in recent years: a more positive tone.
The major state parties and two political action committees that have sunk $33,874 into the special election to fill the House District 93 seat in Owls Head and Rockland have recorded no negative spending. Outside groups, which can’t coordinate with candidates, have spent all of their money propelling their chosen candidates, not tearing down their rivals, according to spending reports filed with the Maine Ethics Commission.
Republican James Kalloch, Democrat Anne Beebe-Center, Libertarian Shawn Levasseur and Green Independent Ron Huber are facing off in the House District 93 special election after Democrat Elizabeth Dickerson resigned the post in January after her November re-election.
The level of spending by third-party groups has topped outside spending in the most expensive House race last November by more than $2,000. In that race, between Democrat Anne Graham of North Yarmouth and Republican Paul Chace of Durham, outside groups spent $31,230. Democratic interests spent a portion of that — $3,395 — to oppose Chace, who ultimately won.
The lack of negative outside spending in the Rockland-area election is a departure from some of the most competitive legislative races in recent years. In 2012, the Bangor-area Senate race between Democrat Geoff Gratwick and Republican Nichi Farnham attracted more than $450,000 in outside spending, most of it devoted to negative advertising and mailers. The race for the same Senate seat in 2014 attracted more than $385,000 in third-party money, the bulk of it to oppose Republican Cary Weston.
In Maine’s last special election, in the summer of 2013, Democratic and Republican interests spent more than $150,000 on a special Senate election between Democrat Eloise Vitelli of Arrowsic and Republican Paula Benoit of Phippsburg. Democrats spent more than Republicans — $96,000 — largely on a negative strategy tying Benoit to the unpopular Gov. Paul LePage.
What’s changed since Maine’s last special legislative election?
— LePage has been re-elected: The Republican governor has never had high approval ratings, but Democrats saw in 2014 that staking their hopes on an anti-LePage strategy didn’t work.
— Politics is more local: The Rockland-area special election is for a House seat representing 8,800 people, unlike many of the most competitive recent legislative races, which were for Senate seats representing 38,000 people. The smaller nature of a House race affected the type of spending, meaning less campaign mail and fewer radio ads. Democratic interests spent no money on mail — a key part of their strategy in other races — devoting their $10,000 instead to door-to-door canvassing, campaign consultants and web design. Republican interests devoted nearly a third of their $23,000 to campaign mail but also devoted significant portions to door-to-door canvassing and campaign consultants.