Maine Governor Paul LePage was reelected last Tuesday to another four-year term as 292,345 voters preferred him over his Democrat challenger Mike Michaud (260,348 votes) and independent Eliot Cutler (50,693 votes.)
In Aroostook County, LePage edged Michaud in everywhere but the St. John Valley. He attracted 46 percent of the vote to the U.S. Congressman’s 43 percent in Presque Isle, but in Madawaska Michaud pulled in 64 percent of 1,810 voters. The Republican incumbent’s county-wide margin of victory was 801 votes (3 percent), attracting 12,296 of 26,279 total Aroostook votes.
U.S. Senator Susan Collins also showed strong incumbent appeal as she was elected to a fourth term by a wide 14,388-vote margin across the state. In Aroostook, Sen. Collins, a Republican from Caribou, took 78 percent of 25, 871 votes while her opponent, Shenna Bellows collected 5,737 votes. Statewide, the standing senator outpolled Bellows, 69 percent to 31 percent.
The election for the 2nd District House of Representatives seat, surrendered by Congressman Michaud, was much closer as Bruce Poliquin of Oakland narrowly defeated Democrat Emily Cain, 132,970-118,074. County voters awarded the Republican 50 percent of 25,315 votes to Cain’s 40 percent. Independent Blaine Richardson pulled in 10 percent of the Aroostook tally.
The highly contested Bear Hunt Referendum was narrowly rejected by Maine voters, 54 percent against to 46 percent for. In Aroostook County where the economic impact of a ban on snaring, hounding and baiting of bears would be felt the most, voters rejected the proposal more strongly, 62 percent against and 38 percent in favor. In Ashland, 362 of 511 voters (71 percent) voted down the referendum while in Caribou it was 1,852 to 1,307.
As for the six bond questions totaling $50 million, each one was passed by Maine voters, with the $3 million earmarked for biotechnology and related jobs narrowly approved 51 percent to 49 percent. This bond was the only one to be rejected in Aroostook, by a 1,197-vote margin.
Aroostook County’s two state Senate seats were decided by narrow margins. In District 1, Republican Peter Edgecomb of Caribou won, 7,891-7,073, over Charles Kenneth Theriault of Madawaska. It was another Republican, Michael Willette of Presque Isle, who narrowly defeated Houlton candidate and former Attorney General Michael Carpenter by a 218-vote margin (7,555 to 7,337).
Winning Maine House of Representatives seats in the region were: District 145 — Ricky Long (R) over Glenn Hines, 2,474-1,048; District 146 — Dustin White (R) over Troy Haines, 2,082-1,800; District 147 — Bob Saucier (D) over Larry Fox, 1,562-1,529; District 148 — A.J. Edgecomb (R) over Alan Whittemore and Greg Ward, 1,585-1,212-506; District 150 — Roland “Danny” Martin (D) over Craig Lawrence, 2,800-1,088; and District 151 — former Speaker of the House John Martin (D) over Mike Nadeau, 2,156-1,836.
