AUGUSTA (AP) – Three months after removing himself from the race for governor, David Emery announced Monday he’s joining the growing field of candidates seeking the Republican nomination for the Blaine House.

The former Republican congressman took square aim at Democratic Gov. John Baldacci in making his announcement at an Augusta hotel.

“Getting Maine’s fiscal house in order will be my first order of business,” said Emery, who also listed energy policy and reforms of the Dirigo health insurance system among his other priorities. He said details would come later.

Emery, 57, of St. George, joins a field of GOP contenders that includes Sens. Peter Mills of Cornville and Chandler Woodcock of Farmington. Another Republican, little-known Stephen Stimpson of Bangor, and independent Nancy Oden of Jonesboro are taking steps to qualify for public campaign financing in the race.

Baldacci is unchallenged in his party for a second term.

Emery formed a campaign exploratory committee in June but announced a month later that he would stay out of the governor’s race as Peter Cianchette entered the race. Cianchette, who was viewed as the GOP frontrunner, dropped out earlier this month.

Acknowledging “a long and arduous task ahead,” Emery vowed if elected to right fiscal mismanagement he said has occurred under Baldacci’s watch, listing as examples millions of dollars in unpaid Medicaid reimbursements to the hospitals.

Earlier this year, the state and more than a dozen hospitals agreed to settle a legal dispute over claims by more than a dozen hospitals of unpaid Medicaid reimbursements. The settlement amounted to $100 million, or $80 million less than the hospitals initially sought.

Emery also cited financial problems in the state Health and Human Services Department, whose computer problems have led to underpaying and overpaying Medicaid, or MaineCare, service providers. He pledged to “restore the faith of Maine people in their state government.”

Emery called for reforms in the Dirigo health insurance program, whose costs he said are “ballooning,” and a zero-based state budgeting system and an audit of every state department. He proposed a comprehensive energy policy that would emphasize greater use of biofuels.

A spokesman for Baldacci, Lee Umphrey, said Emery’s charges are based on faulty assumptions and that Emery has been “indecisive as a candidate.”

Emery served two legislative terms before he was elected to the U.S. House to represent southern Maine’s 1st District from 1975 to 1983. He ran for the Senate in 1982, but was defeated by the incumbent Democrat, George Mitchell. After the election, Emery served in the Reagan administration as deputy director of the U.S. Arms and Disarmament Agency.

Emery has served on state legislative redistricting panels and owns a public opinion research consulting firm.

—

On the Net:

Emery campaign: www.emeryforgovernor.com/

AP-ES-10-24-05 1748EDT

Copy the Story Link