Here in Maine, there is the Clean Elections Fund, or CEF. A candidate who agrees to the terms of the CEF is limited to accepting donations of $5 from individuals in their voting district.
However, there is a loophole. In the initial stages of the campaign, candidates can receive startup money to a maximum of $100 per contribution. The problem? Lobbyists may donate. Accepting donations from lobbyists violates the spirit of the CEF.
Jan Collins is running as a Clean Elections Fund candidate for state Senate District 17 (Franklin County, Belgrade, Fayette, Mt. Vernon and Vienna). She is smart, compassionate, informed and really listens to reason before making decisions.
According to the Maine Ethics Commission website, her opponent has accepted money from lobbyists.
Collins pledges not to take money from lobbyists. She is a candidate who truly believes in clean elections.
Phil Poirier, Farmington
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.