🐘 A week from a special Maine election, Republicans have an upper hand.
◉ Republicans may be on the verge of breaking a long losing streak in truly competitive special legislative elections, with former Rep. Abden Simmons of Waldoboro enjoying a larger level of institutional support than his Democratic opponent, former Rep. Wendy Pieh of Bremen ahead of their June 13 race.
◉ Simmons, a privately financed candidate, has outraised Pieh, who is using the Clean Election system, by nearly $10,000, according to filings from last week. Republican outside groups have also kicked in more than $17,000 to less than $4,000 from their Democratic counterparts in a district that leans Republican but was won by a Democrat in 2022.
◉ The fundamentals of the district favor Maine Republicans, but they have not won a special election in a competitive area since 2015. It would be a major symbolic victory, though it would not change much in Augusta with House Democrats maintaining a 81-67 majority with two independents in the chamber.
🛣️ Watch the normally low-key highway budget for some tension.
◉ Lawmakers on the Transportation Committee will be working over the next few weeks to come to a deal on the Highway Fund budget, which stands apart from the state budget and has long faced systemic funding challenges due to the erosion of the gas tax. In 2020, work on a legislative panel broke down when lawmakers could not agree on a solution.
◉ Both parties have had gripes about the way roads and bridges are funded. Some Democrats think too much money from the state budget is directed to transportation, while Rep. Wayne Parry, R-Arundel, a committee member, has long proposed moving vehicle sales tax money to the transportation side.
◉ Republicans are expected to try to inject their ideas into negotiations over the new highway budget, which must be inked by the end of June. They have some leverage because it requires two-thirds majorities in both chamber, but history tells us that it will be hard to make long-term changes.
◉ "I think it's going to be more about the financial piece and how we try to secure some more long-term funding for the [Maine Department of Transportation] work plan," Sen. Brad Farrin, R-Norridgewock, said of his party's posture. |
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