Tuesday was the most effective day shortly for Maine Republicans
A model of this text was initially printed in The Every day Transient, our Maine politics e-newsletter. Enroll right here for day by day information and perception from politics editor Michael Shepherd.
It isn’t enjoyable to be a Republican in Augusta lately, with Democrats within the Legislature summarily killing just about all the minority social gathering’s largest priorities in their third-straight time period of full State Home management.
Regardless of these frustrations, Maine Republicans had an honest Tuesday from the poll field to the legislative flooring. Right here’s what to remove from it.
The context: Within the Home, one reinforcement is coming because the Legislature races to complete up work after Rep.-elect Abden Simmons of Waldoboro flipped a seat alongside the midcoast. It was the primary time since 2015 that Republicans have taken a particular election in a aggressive space.
The social gathering can also be beginning to construct some coalitions with average Democrats on the flooring. Home Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, and fellow progressives failed to get a 72-hour ready interval on gun purchases by way of the Home, and Gov. Janet Mills signaled opposition to a $15 minimal wage that cleared the Home after which sailed by way of the Senate.
It’s changing into a bit of little bit of a theme on among the largest points in Augusta. Mills additionally appears cool to a paid household and medical go away proposal that Republicans and enterprise pursuits oppose, though progressives have a trump card in a 2024 referendum drive that they may transfer at any time.
However wait: We’re grading Republicans on a curve right here. They’re solely in a position to have an effect on coverage once they align with the governor or when Democrats peel off from their social gathering. That’s why Mills and fellow Democrats are poised to push by way of an abortion-rights invoice that Republicans have vociferously opposed.
Meaning many extra losses to return for Republicans, who usually are not going to have the ability to get lots of their priorities by way of. Simmons provides them yet one more vote in a chamber that has seen shut margins, together with a minimal wage invoice that acquired by way of the Home 71-70 at first. Each vote issues, particularly on late nights when lawmakers duck out.
Maine Republican Social gathering Chair Joel Stetkis issued a press release arguing that Simmons’ victory was a rebuke of Mills and Democrats, however it’s most likely greatest to not learn a lot into particular elections regardless of who wins, since they’re marked by odd timing and low turnout. This was a race that Republicans ought to have had, they usually solely received by 4 proportion factors.
Former Rep. Clinton Collamore, D-Waldoboro, received the seat in 2022 in opposition to a little-known Republican challenger regardless of Mills shedding the Republican-leaning district to former Gov. Paul LePage. Collamore resigned in February after going through signature fraud fees associated to his marketing campaign, and Simmons was simply coming off a Maine Senate race. His opponent, former Rep. Wendy Pieh, D-Bremen, got here from the district’s smallest city and final served in 2008.
The lesson: Republicans have nonetheless damaged a shedding streak, they’ve yet one more member to assist them and they’re determining find out how to affect some main objects in Augusta. When you could have been within the minority this lengthy, that’s a reasonably good day.
