AUGUSTA, Maine — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Max Linn can stay on Maine’s June primary ballot despite having 230 signatures invalidated, Secretary of State Matt Dunlap ruled on Thursday.
The move pits Linn, a Bar Harbor financial planner, against state Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, in the party’s primary to take on independent U.S. Sen. Angus King in November — unless Brakey appeals Dunlap’s move and persuades Maine’s court system to boot Linn.
Linn was certified for the ballot by the Democratic secretary of state in March, but Brakey’s campaign quickly challenged that, saying hundreds of signatures from Linn’s petition should be tossed over dozens of fraudulent signatures — including some from deceased persons — and other issues.
Dunlap said in a news release late Thursday afternoon that Linn’s ballot access paperwork “meet the legal requirements” to qualify for the ballot. Dunlap said he invalidated 230 of Linn’s signatures, leaving him with 2,018 that were valid — 18 more than the legal threshold of 2,000.
According to Maine law, the Brakey campaign has five days to appeal the decision in Maine Superior Court.
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