Heading into the June 12 primary, two of the three Democratic contenders in the 2nd Congressional District match up pretty closely in their fundraising efforts. The top fundraiser among the trio is Jared Golden of Lewiston, who has raked in $698,000 overall for his campaign to unseat U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, a two-term Republican. But […]
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Jonathan Fulford withdraws from congressional race, cites campaign pressures on family
After suspending his campaign out of the blue Monday, Democratic congressional contender Jonathan Fulford said Tuesday he is withdrawing from the 2nd District race entirely. “The pressures of a campaign on myself and the family have been substantial, and I am withdrawing from the campaign. Sometimes family is more important than anything else,” the Monroe […]
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Democratic challengers together raised more cash than Bruce Poliquin
The four Democrats jostling in a primary for the opportunity to challenge U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin in the general election collectively raised 25 percent more campaign cash this year than the Republican incumbent. Filings with the Federal Election Commission Sunday show the four candidates together raised more than $550,000 from January through March, with Lewiston […]
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Poliquin raising money at faster clip than in 2016
In the race to secure campaign cash, U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin has raised 22 percent more than he had at the same time in 2016, the last time he faced voters. The 2nd District Maine Republican collected more than $430,000 during the first quarter of the year, and has more than $2.2 million in his […]
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Will Ryan's departure matter to Poliquin's re-election bid?
Politicians differ on whether the decision of U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan to step down after this year will matter to U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s re-election bid in Maine’s hotly contested 2nd District. Ryan, 48, told reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday that he seeks to spend more time with his family. “The truth is, […]
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Democrats question Bruce Poliquin's support for balanced budget amendment
In a move that immediately drew criticism on the campaign trail Friday, U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine hailed the decision by House leaders to hold a vote soon on a proposed balanced budget amendment. Poliquin, a 2nd District Republican who is seeking a third term, has pushed for the measure since 2015 because of […]
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Republican Super PAC to open Maine office to help Bruce Poliquin
A political action committee aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan is seeking to bolster the re-election bid of two-term U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin in Maine’s sprawling 2nd District. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, announced this week it was opening five offices in hotly contested GOP-held districts across the country, including Poliquin’s. By […]
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Democrats seeking Poliquin's House seat try to gather votes at Bates
LEWISTON — Taking the stage at Bates College on Thursday, a quartet of 2nd District Democratic congressional hopefuls sounded pretty friendly with one another and not too different in their stances on the issues of the day. They basically like unions, want to expand the Medicare system to cover everyone, support greater measures to deal […]
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Campaigns unsure how ranked-choice voting will affect Maine elections
AUGUSTA — As politicians prepare to face the first-ever congressional election using ranked-choice voting, most admit they have almost no idea how it will affect the results. Ask a political insider how the new voting system will weigh on the primary campaigns waged by Democrats seeking to face Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin this year and the […]
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Political newcomer hopes to put a rural Mainer in US House
For Phil Cleaves, a rural mail carrier from Dexter, the day finally arrived when he couldn’t stomach “the crap and corruption going on” any longer. “I’d sat back and been a person on the sidelines long enough,” he said Wednesday. So the 55-year-old who said he’s been watching everything in town “just close down” over […]