State of Maine Archives: on Government Reform
Angus King:
Restrict and disclose all campaign donations & spending
Q: Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates: Individual?A: Yes.
Q: PAC?
A: Yes.
Q: Corporate?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance
information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
A: Yes. King adds, "I hope to increase education funding, subject to revenue limitations."
Source: Maine Governor 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
Betsy Sweet:
Only Democrat to use Maine's taxpayer-funded election system
Sweet is a longtime background player in Maine politics who was the 12th-highest-paid Maine lobbyist since 2008. She finished 3rd in the 2018 gubernatorial primary won by Gov. Janet Mills in a ranked-choice race.Sweet was the only Democrat who
used Maine's taxpayer-funded election system, which won't be available to her on the federal level. She ran with a progressive agenda including single-payer health care, an hourly minimum wage of $15 and gun control.
Source: Bangor Daily News on 2020 Maine Senate race
Oct 30, 2019
Betsy Sweet:
Publicly funded federal election system
Sweet said "raising a ton of money" for "negative ads" and "nibbling around the edges" on policy won't work. She floated a proposed constitutional change to create a publicly funded federal election system, limit campaigns to 12 weeks and allow only
individuals to give to campaigns. "What is exciting people around this country are bold ideas like a Green New Deal," she said in reference to proposals from congressional progressives that are litmus tests in the Democratic presidential primary.
Source: Bangor Daily News on 2020 Maine Senate race
Sep 16, 2019
Bruce Poliquin:
12-year term limit on members of Congress
Once elected, the primary concern of long-time politicians is to use the advantages of their offices to get re-elected. They use our tax dollars to grow government programs to secure more votes in the next election. They increasingly lose touch with
those they are responsible to represent. Problems grow and remain unsolved because career politicians avoid making difficult and unpopular decisions that invite criticism and might lose votes.The best way to break this dysfunctional cycle is to
limit the terms of our elected officials in Washington: 12 years in the House of Representatives and 12 years in the Senate are reasonable periods of time to get the People's work done. Term limits will encourage elected officials to do what's right
instead of what's politically advantageous to get re-elected.
15 state legislatures, including Maine's, and 8 of our 10 largest cities impose term limits on their senior elected officials. It's time Washington does the same.
Source: 2014 Maine House campaign website, PoliquinForCongress.com
Nov 4, 2014
Charlie Summers:
OpEd: Pushes for voter registration, with his name on ballot
Maine Secretary of State Charlie Summers faced criticism from Democrats questioning his ability to hold one elected office while seeking another.Only two weeks ago, Secretary of State Charlie Summers put out an official press release reminding Maine
voters of the need to vote in the June primary along with information about filing an absentee ballot. Summers says he was only following a fairly perfunctory notice that has been issued by his predecessors--both GOP and Democratic. This year's
Republican ballot will be a little different than those past notices, though, because Summers will be listed on it as a Republican candidate for the US Senate nomination. Democrats criticized Summers for what they said was skating dangerously close to a
conflict of interest even as the secretary officially launched his Senate campaign.
But Summers was unfazed. "I can certainly come up with a scenario where if that press release didn't go out, I would be criticized for not putting it out," Summers said
Source: Maine Public Broadcasting on 2012 Maine Senate debates
Mar 27, 2012
Chris Lyons:
Make voter registration easier
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Make voter registration easier"?
A: support
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maine Senate candidate
Mar 6, 2018
Eric Brakey:
Independent redistricting & automatic voter registration
Elections: Support nonpartisan redistricting to address charges of partisan gerrymandering?Brakey: No position found.
King: Yes. Supported bill requiring state independent redistricting commissions.
Ringelstein: Yes. Create independent redistricting commissions.
Voting Rights: Support voting rules that prioritize preventing the possibility of fraud, even if limit access?
Brakey: Yes. Co-sponsored bill requiring government or college-issued photo ID.
King: No. Co-sponsored voting rights bill also including automatic voter registration.
Ringelstein: No. Supports automatic voter registration, Election Day registration, & fully restoring Voting Rights Act.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Maine Senate race
Nov 1, 2018
Eliot Cutler:
Oppose all efforts to restrict access to the ballot box
Q: Will you oppose any obstacle to voting and support promotion of greater voter participation? A: I oppose all efforts to restrict access to the ballot box, and have been appalled to see the changes taking place across the country, moving us away
from increased citizen participation in our democracy. I also believe that greater voter participation is achieved by providing voters with a political process that belongs to all of us, not just the two political parties. Our electoral process should
give us broad and good choices among candidates--choices that appeal not only to the few of us who stand on the left and right ends of the spectrum, but also to most of us who occupy the center. Voters can have the kind of choices that they want and
deserve, and consensus at the end of the electoral process, if we have run-offs, open primaries, or ranked choice voting. Fewer and fewer Americans identify themselves as a Republic or Democrat these days and fewer people vote in party primaries.
Source: AFL-CIO Questionnaire on 2014 Maine Gubernatorial race
Oct 16, 2013
Janet Mills:
Let college students vote where they attend college
OnTheIssues summary: The "Student Voter Registration Bill" disallows college students from voting in their college town if they live in college housing (students must vote where their parents live). This vote was on a committee report on
whether the bill "Ought Not to Pass"; a YEA vote means "Let college students vote where they reside."Legislative section to be removed:This subsection may not be construed to prevent a student at any institution of learning from
qualifying as a voter in the municipality where the student resides while attending that institution.
New legislative section: A student is not a resident of a municipality where the student resides if the student lives in housing owned
by an institution of learning while attending the institution unless the student lived in that municipality prior to attending the institution.
Legislative outcome: House voted 90-49-11 "Ought Not to Pass"; Rep. Mills voted YEA.
Source: Maine voting record on legislative voting record LD 203
Jun 6, 2007
Janet Mills:
Undisclosed political money is corrosive to democracy
Campaign Finance: Support Citizens United decision, allowing unlimited political donations from corporations & unions?
Mills: No. Allowing untold, undisclosed money into our politics is corrosive to democracy. Overturn Citizens United.
Moody: No position found.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Maine Governor race
Nov 1, 2018
John Baldacci:
Limit political campaign donations
Q: Do you support limiting individual contributions to state candidates? A: Yes
Q: For PAC contributions?
A: Yes.
Q: For Corporate contributions?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely
disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes??
A: Yes.
Source: 2006 Maine Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Nov 7, 2006
Matt Dunlap:
No campaign donation limits; just disclosure
Q: Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates: Individual?A: No.
Q: PAC?
A: No.
Q: Corporate?
A: No.
Q: Political Parties?
A: No.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
A: No.
Q: Do you support voting on-line?
A: No.
Source: Maine Congressional 2002 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2002
Paul LePage:
Investigate and report publicly on false campaign statements
Gov. Paul LePage hopes to turn the state's ethics panel into a truth squad that checks the veracity of claims made by politicians.The plan directs the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to investigate campaign claims
following a complaint by a candidate. The panel would have to make a public statement if the claim is deemed false.
Backers of the effort, which LePage's office says is the governor's "attempt to bring civility to the process," told lawmakers that
having such a check in place will encourage candidates to make fewer false claims about their opponents.
"Should there be no restraint, no limit or no consequence for lying?" said one legislator. But the ACLU of Maine said the proposal violates the
constitution, arguing that courts have found that even false statements deserve First Amendment protection.
LePage's office said it believes that the lack of penalties if a claim is deemed false would allow the proposal to stand up constitutionally.
Source: A.P. in The Republic on 2014 Maine gubernatorial race
Mar 26, 2014
Paul LePage:
2010: Voluntarily limited donors to $9,500, with disclosure
Paul LePage ran on a platform of transparency in government. "Every Maine citizen has a right to know what government is up to," read his campaign website. "He will fight for stronger laws to protect and expand
Maine citizens' right to access information from state and local government. When Paul is governor, open government will be a reality, not a talking point.'Shortly after he won the general election,
LePage reiterated those guarantees and announced that he was launching the most transparent administration in Maine history.
He got off on the right foot. Unlike previous Maine governors, LePage placed a limit of
$9,500 on individual contributions given to his transition organization and disclosed the names of people and businesses that gave to the fund (although not the amounts they gave).
Source: As Maine Went, by Mike Tipping, p. 63
Jul 14, 2014
Paul LePage:
2013: no government transparency; no campaign disclosure
LePage's shift away from transparency was obvious in his response to some of his new administration's first Freedom of Access requests by journalists and the Conservation Law Foundation. Requests to view documents related to the administrations
formulation of environmental policies were stymied by LePage's insistence that he wouldn't turn over documents from the transition period.In 2013, LePage completely and finally turned his back on the principles espoused in his initial call for
transparency, vetoing two bills that would have required the disclosure of donations to future gubernatorial transitions. In his veto message for one of these bills, LePage said that instituting such a requirement would be an affront to
the integrity of new governors and would disrespect the voting public. "When Maine voters speak at the ballot box, their newly elected officials should be trusted to do the right thing," wrote LePage.
Source: As Maine Went, by Mike Tipping, p. 65-6
Jul 14, 2014
Paul LePage:
Vetoed increased penalties on campaign finance disclosure
In 2013, LePage vetoed a bill, officially passed without opposition in the Maine House Senate, that would have increased the penalties for candidates and future PAC's that miss deadlines for reporting expenditures close to an election. This proposed
election [disclosure rule] was meant to discourage the late reporting of large political expenditures, such as in 2010, when the Republican State Leadership committee made a last minute expenditure of $160,000 in five key Maine senate races, failed to
report their spending at the time, and faced only a small [fine, which the new bill would have increased].In his veto message, LePage said that he opposed strengthening the regulations because people might make unsupported claims about ethics
violations in order to tarnish political opponents, a nonsensical argument that the Bangor Daily News likened to "blaming the referee, who's trying to ensure that a game is being played fairly, for the actions of players who commit fouls."
Source: As Maine Went, by Mike Tipping, p. 66
Jul 14, 2014
Sara Gideon:
$500 fine for campaign finance ethics violation
Maine's ethics watchdog unanimously found Sara Gideon's use of a partially corporate-funded committee to reimburse herself for two 2016 political donations violated state law. The Maine Ethics Commission voted unanimously to assess a $500 fine against
Gideon's shuttered political committee, ending a state ethics case against her. A federal complaint on the same issue looms.Gideon has drawn the most attention for reimbursed contributions to federal causes, but the commission focused on two $250
payments to the House Democratic Campaign Committee and now-U.S. Rep. Jared Golden's state-level political committee in 2016 that were originally made under Gideon's name but were reimbursed by the political committee.
Contributing in someone else's
name is illegal on the state and federal levels. A Gideon spokesperson expressed support for the decision, saying the commission "continued its tradition of fairness" and supported Gideon's attorney's position that the violations were minor.
Source: Bangor Daily News on 2020 Maine Senate race
Oct 30, 2019
Sara Gideon:
Worked in Maine to pass automatic voter registration
Sara voted to strengthen Maine's clean elections system after it was weakened by federal courts. In the past year, she worked in the state legislature to pass automatic voter registration to make it easier for
Maine voters to participate in our electoral process and banned state lobbyists from donating to legislative and gubernatorial campaigns in Maine.
Source: 2020 Maine Senate campaign website SaraGideon.com
Jun 4, 2020
Sara Gideon:
End influence of big money on our elections and officials
She'll work to end the influence of big money on our elections and officials in Washington by:- Passing a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United;
- Passing the DISCLOSE Act, which would require dark money groups to disclose their
donors;
- Supporting "No Budget, No Pay" legislation so that Congress isn't compensated if they fail to do the most basic part of their job: passing a budget;
- Banning former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists.
Source: 2020 Maine Senate campaign website SaraGideon.com
Jun 4, 2020
Shenna Bellows:
Funding her campaign $5 at a time from local events
71% of Mainers still don't know who she is, and she has been adamant about funding her campaign $5 at a time from local events such as the one at the Machias Grange. Passionate about local food systems and working people, the tactic may work for her.
She is looking for the type of grassroots involvement that rural Maine runs on.Saying that she would like to be the Elizabeth Warren of civil liberties she states, "You will always know where I stand and I will always listen to your opinions."
Source: Machias Valley News Observer on 2014 Maine Senate race
Dec 4, 2013
Susan Collins:
Reform public financing system to get more opt-in
Collins supports the following principles regarding Campaign Finance and Government Reform:- Support prohibiting ads containing candidates' name that are paid for by third parties from airing 60 days before a primary and
30 days before a general federal election.
- Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations.
- Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative
interpretation of the bill.
- Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
- Collins adds, "I support reform of the dysfunctional Presidential public financing system. I am a cosponsor of the Presidential Funding
Act (S. 2412), which would update the public financing system for presidential candidates by creating new incentives for these candidates to opt in to the system and remain competitive even against candidates who forgo it."
Source: Maine Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test
Jun 18, 2008
Susan Collins:
Outrageous for IRS to target Tea Party groups
Q: An inspector general's report will show an IRS official has said, yes, there was extra scrutiny of groups with the words "Tea Party" or "patriot" in it. Your take?COLLINS: This is truly outrageous. And it contributes to the profound distrust that
the American people have in government. It is absolutely chilling that the IRS was singling out conservative groups for extra review. And I think that it's very disappointing that the president hasn't personally condemned this and spoken out.
His spokesman has said it should be investigated, but the president needs to make crystal clear that this is totally unacceptable in America.
Q: The White House blames a small group of IRS agents.
COLLINS: I just don't buy that this was a couple
rogue IRS employees. After all, groups with "progressive" in their names were not targeted similarly. If it had been just a small group of employees, then high level IRS supervisors would have rushed to make this public, and fired the employees involved.
Source: CNN SOTU 2013 interview on 2014 Maine Senate race
May 12, 2013
Susan Rice:
Supports National Voter Registration Day
[Tweet from @AmbassadorRice]: Nothing is more important today than registering to vote and actually voting on Election Day. On National Voter Registration Day,
it's up to us as citizens to make sure everyone we know can make their voices heard at the ballot box. Check and update your registration at http://IWillVote.com -- and tell your friends, too.
Source: Twitter posting on 2020 Maine Senate race
Sep 24, 2019
Tea Party:
More power is being taken by government
One of the Tea Party movement's great strengths was that it was largely made up of people such as [Carter Jones, an early Tea Party supporter], who hadn't previously been politically involved. They had new energy, and the fact that they weren't deeply
informed on policies, and instead spoke more about basic values, was an advantage as they worked to spread their ideas."The Tea Party movement in Maine, it was a group of people who basically had had enough, just regular everyday people who weren't
up on politics or anything, and I think that's why it was so successful ," said Jones. "I could go talk to my neighbor and say 'Jeez, it seems like we're in a mess with the debt and more power being taken by the government' and almost everybody would
agree with that. Most people I worked with at the beginning had the same thought process that if I talked to my neighbor, instead of having one vote, I'd have two." Jones says things changed later, as more people with agendas joined the movement.
Source: As Maine Went, by Mike Tipping, p. 42-43
Jul 14, 2014
Zak Ringelstein:
Ultra rich are buying our elected leaders & control policy
We always ask why the richest country in the world doesn't have excellent affordable universal healthcare or why tax cuts continue to be given to the wealthiest Americans. We can say once and for all that we know the reason.
It is because corporations and the ultra-wealthy control policy in Washington--and this needs to end. Billionaires and corporations fund congressional campaigns and expect something in return: control over our elected leaders' votes.
Source: 2018 Me. Senate campaign website, RingelsteinForMaine.com
Jun 26, 2018
Zak Ringelstein:
Protect democracy from corrupting influence of big money
I'm running for U.S. Senate because our democracy is under attack from the corrupting influence of big money.
From income inequality to climate change to public education and more, issues that are critical to the future of America are being ignored because powerful people are paying our politicians to look the other way.
Mainers deserve a senator who is going to fight for their interests, not the interests of campaign donors.
That's why I'm refusing to accept money from corporations, PACs, or lobbyists. My only allegiance is to the people.
Source: Ballotpedia.org on 2018 Maine Senatorial campaign
Feb 3, 2016
Zak Ringelstein:
Independent redistricting & automatic voter registration
Elections: Support nonpartisan redistricting to address charges of partisan gerrymandering?Brakey: No position found.
King: Yes. Supported bill requiring state independent redistricting commissions.
Ringelstein: Yes. Create independent redistricting commissions.
Voting Rights: Support voting rules that prioritize preventing the possibility of fraud, even if limit access?
Brakey: Yes. Co-sponsored bill requiring government or college-issued photo ID.
King: No. Co-sponsored voting rights bill also including automatic voter registration.
Ringelstein: No. Supports automatic voter registration, Election Day registration, & fully restoring Voting Rights Act.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Maine Senate race
Nov 1, 2018
Zak Ringelstein:
Overturn Citizens United; disclose campaign donations
Campaign Finance: Require political ads to disclose their largest funders? Position on Citizens United decision, allowing unlimited political donations from corporations & unions?Eric Brakey: No position on Citizens United. Supported legislation to
send Maine's Clean Election Act back to the voters.
Angus King: Yes, including online ads. Co-sponsored DISCLOSE Act. Pass amendment to overturn Citizens United.
Ringelstein: Yes, including online ads. Pass amendment to overturn Citizens United.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Maine Senate race
Nov 1, 2018
David Costello:
Mandate automatic voter registration, early and mail voting
Pass the Freedom to Vote Act and other elections-related legislation to improve elections security, increase voter participation, and reinforce the legitimacy of elections results, by:- modernizing nationwide voting infrastructure.
- mandating
automatic voter registration, early voting, and no-excuse voting by mail.
- banning unreasonable voter purges, deceptive politicking, and partisan gerrymandering.
- reducing the inordinate, unfair influence of excessive funding & "dark money."
Source: 2024 Maine Senate campaign website CostelloForSenate.com
Jul 24, 2023
David Costello:
U.S. Senate is obscenely undemocratic
Costello wants to promote what he calls a reform agenda that would modernize the country's government. "Our governing infrastructure is as outdated as many of our roads, ports and bridges," he said. "Partisan gridlock, government dysfunction, and
political disinformation abound, and our imperfect democracy is in danger of becoming even more flawed."His reform agenda, outlined on his website, includes a call to end the filibuster in the Senate, increase national service programs for young
adults, abolish the Electoral College, give presidents line-item veto power, adopt mandatory retirement for judges at age 80, increase the size of the U.S. House and much more. "I view the Senate as obscenely undemocratic," Costello said, and in need of
an overhaul.
Costello said his focus is on constitutional and legal reforms that would tackle some of the archaic systems that are holding back the country. "It's not about changing the politician. It's about changing the system," Costello said.
Source: Sun-Journal on 2024 Maine Senate race
Apr 12, 2023
Demi Kouzounas:
Deeply concerned about possibility of election fraud
On Nov. 12, 2020, days after Joe Biden had officially won the 2020 election, Kouzounas said in a statement that the Maine GOP was "deeply concerned with the anomalies" in voting in several states and the "possibility of election fraud." "As far as we
are concerned, President Trump is still our President until proven otherwise," she said, adding that, "We will not rest until the truth about the 2020 election is revealed and we return trust to American elections."
Source: News from the States on 2024 Maine Senate race
Jul 19, 2024
David Costello:
Substantial reforms to overcome partisan gridlock
Partisan gridlock abounds and our imperfect democracy is in danger of becoming even more flawed. To fix it, we need to do more than simply change who we elect every two to six years. We need to substantially reform our governing practices and
institutions, and we need to eliminate the excessive and corrupting influence that money, wealth, and disinformation have over our politics and government.I am running for the United States Senate because I want to advance long-overdue reforms that
will not only help end gridlock in Washington but also help in protecting our rights and freedoms and assist in addressing such pressing problems as climate change, uneven economic prosperity, inadequate health care, shoddy infrastructure, under
performing schools, increasing gun violence, and insufficient retirement security. I am also running because I want to help in ensuring that all Mainers are provided with the education, job skills, and other life-enriching opportunities to thrive.
Source: Ballotpedia Candidate Connection: 2024 Maine Senate race
Nov 1, 2023
David Costello:
24-year term limits for Congress; retirement age for judges
As Senator, I will back efforts to: enact pro-democracy campaign finance reforms; impose term limits and retirement age requirements on federal judges, including
Supreme Court justices; create an independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission; abolish the Electoral College; end gerrymandering and the Senate filibuster; overhaul of the
U.S. House and Senate to ensure greater accountability and more equal representation; impose 24-year term limits on members of the U.S. House and Senate; and streamline our
Constitution's amendment process so that it is no longer virtually impossible to update our national charter.
Source: Ballotpedia Candidate Connection: 2024 Maine Senate race
Nov 1, 2023
Demi Kouzounas:
Declare electronic voting machines unconstitutional
Voting Rules: Make voting harder or easier?Demi Kouzounas (R): Harder. Wants to end early voting. "We have to get back to voting on Election Day." Wants electronic voting machines declared unconstitutional. Opposed then
supported mail balloting.
Angus King (I): Harder. "Every state has a right to run its own elections." In 2020 praised a Maine court's decision reaffirming voter ID for voter registration, & not allowing mailed ballots after election day.
Source: Guides.vote candidate survey on 2024 Maine Senate race
Sep 9, 2024
David Costello:
Restructure Senate based on state population
Costello is running on a "reform agenda" that includes progressive ideas that have gotten little traction in Congress. They include abolishing the Electoral College, restructuring the Senate to be more in line with state population sizes and expanding
the House of Representatives.Costello backs gun control measures and tribal sovereignty, the latter of which could be a contrast with King, who aligned with Gov. Janet Mills against a major rights expansion.
Source: Bangor Daily News on 2024 Maine Senate race
Mar 18, 2024
Robert Charles:
Education bureaucrats are heavy handed with states
Another suit pushed by Maine tries to stop Trump's downsizing--and Congress' closure--of the Education Department,
4,200 bureaucrats who have done nothing to improve US education outcomes, and are heavy handed with states. That one is US v. McMahon.
Source: Association of Mature Americans on 2026 Maine Governor race
Apr 16, 2025
Shenna Bellows:
Attempted to keep Trump off ballot as insurrectionist
As Maine's top election official, Bellows made national headlines and faced threats of impeachment over her decision to unilaterally ban then-candidate Donald Trump from Maine's presidential primary ballot, citing the Constitution's insurrection clause.
Bellows eventually withdrew that disqualification following an appeal from Trump and a U.S. Supreme Court decision on a similar effort in Colorado.
Source: WMTW.com, "Launch," on 2026 Maine Gubernatorial race
Mar 27, 2025
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026