Penobscot County Democrats aren’t happy with a recent endorsement from a national Democratic group in the upcoming primary for Maine’s open 2nd Congressional District seat.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Monday endorsed State Sen. Joe Baldacci from a field of four candidates seeking to face off against former Gov. Paul LePage for outgoing Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden’s seat.
The move angered the three other candidates, according to the Penobscot County Democratic Committee, who will vote Saturday on a resolution condemning the endorsement.
The June 9 primary Democratic primary field includes Baldacci of Bangor, State Auditor Matt Dunlap of Old Town, political newcomer and social worker Paige Loud from Old Town, and former political operative Jordan Wood of Auburn.
As a state senator, Baldacci represents Bangor and Hermon in the Penobscot Democrats’ own county, but the group says the national endorsement conflicts with state and county committee rules against endorsing primary candidates.
A copy of the resolution provided to the Bangor Daily News says the Maine State Democratic Committee and Penobscot County Democratic Committee both have rules prohibiting them from endorsing primary candidates.
The resolution also notes that “supporters of all four qualified candidates may have contributed to the DCCC in hopes of supporting of our candidate in the fall election to retain the seat as a Democratic seat” and may feel betrayed having their contributions used against their candidate.
“With the DCCC deciding to throw itself into the mix here, truthfully that just kind of aggravated me,” former Maine Senate president Charles Pray who wrote the resolution, told The Intercept. “I’m going to support whoever wins the Democratic nomination, but I just think it was an unfair position on their part of trying to dictate or trying to boost up a candidate. Point is, let the people decide. Let the voters in the primary make that determination.”
