AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine Senate President Mike Thibodeau dropped out of the Republican gubernatorial primary on Monday, becoming the highest-profile candidate to leave the race so far and reducing his party’s field to four ahead of the June election.
Thibodeau made the announcement in a Facebook post, citing his leadership position in the Legislature and business obligations as reasons for leaving the race, saying “there just isn’t time to do all of these things and run for governor at the same time.”
Thibodeau came up in Maine politics as a steady social conservative, but he has become best-known for recent battles with Gov. Paul LePage, a fellow Republican who is looming over the intraparty race to pick his successor.
Their relationship soured in 2015 as lawmakers readied to pass a two-year budget over LePage’s veto. Just before then, Lauren LePage, the governor’s daughter, placed robocalls into Thibodeau’s district, criticizing him for “working behind the scenes with liberal Democrats.”
The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “Maine Senate President Mike Thibodeau quits GOP race to succeed LePage,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Michael Shepherd, please follow this link to the BDN online.
