Maine State Senate elections, 2018

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2018 Maine
Senate elections
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GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryJune 12, 2018
Past election results
2016・2014・2012・2010・2008
2006・2004・2002・2000
2018 elections
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Democrats won control of the chamber in the 2018 elections for the Maine State Senate, winning 21 seats to Republicans' 14. All 35 Senate seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans controlled 18 seats to Democrats' 17.

Ballotpedia identified nine of the races as battlegrounds, including five Democratic-held districts and four Republican-held districts. Of the nine battleground races, Democrats won six, including one Republican-held seat, and Republicans won three.

Heading into the election, Maine had been under divided government since 2012 when Democrats took control of the Maine House of Representatives and the Maine State Senate. This broke the state's Republican trifecta that first formed after the 2010 elections. In 2014, Republicans took back control of the state Senate and Gov. Paul LePage (R) was re-elected to a second term.

Democrats needed to win the state Senate and the governor's office to have a trifecta, while Republicans needed to win the state House. The last Democratic trifecta in Maine lasted from 2003 to 2010. Had the Republican Party maintained control of the chamber, it would have prevented the formation of a Democratic trifecta in the state.

The Maine State Senate was one of 87 state legislative chambers with elections in 2018. There were 99 chambers throughout the country. The Maine State Senate was also one of 22 state legislative battleground chambers. Read more below.

Maine state senators serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years.

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primaries, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primaries, click here.

Post-election analysis

See also: State legislative elections, 2018

The Democratic Party gained control of both chambers of the Maine State Legislature in the 2018 election after flipping the Maine State Senate. Both chambers of the Maine State Legislature were identified as battleground chambers. In the state Senate, all 35 seats were up for election. Democrats attained majority control of the Maine State Senate, increasing their seat count from 17-18 to 21-14. One Republican incumbent was defeated in the general election.

The Maine House of Representatives held elections for all 151 seats. Democrats increased their majority in the Maine House of Representatives. Before the election, Democrats held 73 seats, Republicans held 70 seats, independents held 7 seats, and there was one vacancy. Following the election, Democrats held 89 seats, Republicans held 57 seats, and independents held five seats. Nine incumbents were defeated in the general election; one Democrat, seven Republicans, and one independent.

National background

On November 6, 2018, 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 6,073 of 7,383 total seats, meaning that nearly 82 percent of all state legislative seats were up for election.

  • Entering the 2018 election, Democrats held 42.6 percent, Republicans held 56.8 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.6 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • Following the 2018 election, Democrats held 47.3 percent, Republicans held 52.3 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.4 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • A total of 469 incumbents were defeated over the course of the election cycle, with roughly one-third of them defeated in the primary.

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Districts

See also: Maine state legislative districts

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Candidates

See also: Statistics on state legislative candidates, 2018

General election

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Primary election




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Margins of victory
See also: Margin of victory analysis for the 2018 state legislative elections

A margin of victory (MOV) analysis for the 2018 Maine State Senate races is presented in this section. MOV represents the percentage of total votes that separated the winner and the second-place finisher. For example, if the winner of a race received 47 percent of the vote and the second-place finisher received 45 percent of the vote, the MOV is 2 percent.

The table below presents the following figures for each party:

  • Elections won
  • Elections won by less than 10 percentage points
  • Elections won without opposition
  • Average margin of victory[1]
Maine State Senate: 2018 Margin of Victory Analysis
Party Elections won Elections won by less than 10% Unopposed elections Average margin of victory[1]
Democratic Party Democratic
21
3
2
22.7%
Republican Party Republican
14
4
0
17.4%
Grey.png Other
0
0
0
N/A
Total
35
7
2
20.1%



The margin of victory in each race is presented below. The list is sorted from the closest MOV to the largest (including unopposed races).

Maine State Senate: 2018 Margin of Victory by District
District Winning Party Losing Party Margin of Victory
Maine State Senate District 16
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
0.8%
Maine State Senate District 30
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
0.9%
Maine State Senate District 20
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
1.3%
Maine State Senate District 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
1.4%
Maine State Senate District 13
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
1.9%
Maine State Senate District 34
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
3.4%
Maine State Senate District 17
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
9.0%
Maine State Senate District 15
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
13.8%
Maine State Senate District 23
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
15.4%
Maine State Senate District 14
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
15.8%
Maine State Senate District 19
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
16.3%
Maine State Senate District 8
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
17.0%
Maine State Senate District 33
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
17.8%
Maine State Senate District 11
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
18.0%
Maine State Senate District 5
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
18.6%
Maine State Senate District 3
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
20.7%
Maine State Senate District 21
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
20.8%
Maine State Senate District 9
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
21.1%
Maine State Senate District 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
21.5%
Maine State Senate District 6
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
22.7%
Maine State Senate District 25
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
23.8%
Maine State Senate District 35
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
25.0%
Maine State Senate District 32
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
25.3%
Maine State Senate District 22
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
25.5%
Maine State Senate District 12
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
26.8%
Maine State Senate District 7
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
28.2%
Maine State Senate District 18
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
30.9%
Maine State Senate District 4
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
31.9%
Maine State Senate District 10
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
32.3%
Maine State Senate District 31
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
33.0%
Maine State Senate District 24
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
35.5%
Maine State Senate District 29
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
48.6%
Maine State Senate District 27
Electiondot.png Democratic
Grey.png Independent
49.8%
Maine State Senate District 26
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Maine State Senate District 28
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed


Seats flipped

See also: State legislative seats that changed party control, 2018

The below map displays each seat in the Maine State Senate which changed partisan hands as a result of the 2018 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2018. Hover over a shaded district for more information.

State legislative seats flipped in 2018, Maine State Senate
District Incumbent 2018 winner Direction of flip
Maine State Senate District 11 Republican Party Michael Thibodeau Democratic Party Erin Herbig R to D
Maine State Senate District 20 Republican Party Eric Brakey Democratic Party Ned Claxton R to D
Maine State Senate District 30 Republican Party Amy Volk Democratic Party Linda Sanborn R to D
Maine State Senate District 7 Republican Party Brian Langley Democratic Party Louis Luchini R to D

Incumbents retiring

Twelve incumbents did not run for re-election in 2018.[2] Those incumbents were:

Name Party Current Office
Rodney Whittemore Ends.png Republican Senate District 3
Joyce Maker Ends.png Republican Senate District 6
Brian Langley Ends.png Republican Senate District 7
Andre Cushing Ends.png Republican Senate District 10
Michael Thibodeau Ends.png Republican Senate District 11
Roger Katz Ends.png Republican Senate District 15
Thomas Saviello Ends.png Republican Senate District 17
Eric Brakey Ends.png Republican Senate District 20
Garrett Mason Ends.png Republican Senate District 22
Mark Dion Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 28
Ronald Collins Ends.png Republican Senate District 34
Dawn Hill Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 35

2018 battleground chamber

See also: State legislative battleground chambers, 2018

Ballotpedia identified the Maine State Senate as one of 22 battleground chambers in 2018. These were chambers that we anticipated to be, overall, more competitive than other chambers and had the potential to see significant shifts in party control.


The chamber was selected because it met the following conditions:

  • Competitive seats: In 2016, five seats won by Democrats had a margin of victory of less than 10 percent. Four seats won by Republicans had a margin of victory of less than 10 percent. See the 2018 races to watch here.
  • Competitive statewide race: Gov. Paul LePage (R), who has served as governor since 2010, was term-limited in 2018. Electoral ratings organizations expected the race to succeed LePage to be competitive between the two parties. The governor's office was previously controlled by a Democrat from 2002 to 2010. Read more about the 2018 gubernatorial race here.
  • Majority held less than 55 percent of seats: Republicans controlled 18 of 35 seats, which is 51.4 percent of the total.
  • 2016 presidential election results: Hillary Clinton (D) won five districts that elected Republicans to the state Senate. Donald Trump (R) won four districts that elected Democrats to the state Senate.
  • Recent party control switches: This chamber flipped party control three times between 2010 and 2014. It flipped from Democratic to Republican control in 2010, back to Democratic control in 2012, and then to Republican control in 2014.

Party control: 2006 - 2016
Election Year: 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Winning Party: D D R D R R

Battleground races

Maine State Senate
Battleground races
Democratic seats
Democratic Party District 1
Democratic Party District 2
Democratic Party District 12
Democratic Party District 14
Democratic Party District 23
Republican seats
Republican Party District 3
Republican Party District 11
Republican Party District 13
Republican Party District 16

Ballotpedia identified nine battleground races in the Maine State Senate 2018 elections: five Democratic seats and four Republican seats. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.

To determine state legislative battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:

  1. If the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election prior to 2018
  2. If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent’s margin of victory in the previous election was 10 percentage points or less
  3. If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent did not file to run for re-election
  4. If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections by 20 points or more

Other factors could also cause a race to be classified as a battleground. For example, Ballotpedia may have considered an election to be a battleground race if an outside group or a national or state party announced that they were targeting a specific seat in order to flip it. We may have also determined a race to be a battleground if it received an unusual amount of media attention. Two additional factors were open seats and districts impacted by redistricting.


Democratic PartyDistrict 1

Who won this race?

Democratic incumbent Troy Dale Jackson defeated Republican Michael Nadeau.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Troy Dale Jackson (incumbent)
Republican Party Michael Nadeau

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Troy Dale Jackson (D) was first elected in 2016. He received 51.5 percent of the vote and defeated his Republican challenger by 3.1 points. District 1 was one of 17 Maine Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 1 by 7.2 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 21.5 points.

Democratic PartyDistrict 2

Who won this race?

Democratic incumbent Michael Carpenter defeated Republican Karen Ann Reynolds.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Michael Carpenter (incumbent)
Republican Party Karen Ann Reynolds

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won by more than 20 points. Incumbent Michael Carpenter (D) was first elected in 2016. He received 52.3 percent of the vote and defeated his Republican challenger by 4.7 points. District 2 was one of 17 Maine Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 2 by 29.9 points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 9.1 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 3

Who won this race?

Republican Bradlee Farrin defeated Democrat Jeffrey Johnson.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Jeffrey Johnson
Republican Party Bradlee Farrin

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Rodney Whittemore (R) was first elected in 2010 and was re-elected in 2016. He received 53.8 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 7.7 points. District 3 was one of 17 Maine Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 3 by 19.5 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 4.6 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 11

Who won this race?

Democrat Erin Herbig defeated Republican Jayne Crosby Giles.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Erin Herbig
Republican Party Jayne Crosby Giles

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Michael Thibodeau (R) was first elected in 2010 and was re-elected in 2016. He received 51.8 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 3.5 points. District 11 was one of 18 Maine Senate districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 11 by 0.6 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 10.8 points.

Democratic PartyDistrict 12

Who won this race?

Democratic incumbent David Miramant defeated Republican Wendy Pelletier.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party David Miramant (incumbent)
Republican Party Wendy Pelletier

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent David Miramant (D) was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016. He received 51.8 percent of the vote and defeated his Republican challenger by 3.5 points. District 12 was one of 18 Maine Senate districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 12 by 16.0 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 23.5 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 13

Who won this race?

Republican incumbent Dana Dow defeated Democrat Laura Fortman.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Laura Fortman
Republican Party Dana Dow (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Dana Dow (R) was first elected in 2016. She received 52.7 percent of the vote and defeated Democratic incumbent Chris Johnson by 5.3 points. District 13 was one of 18 Maine Senate districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 13 by 0.3 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 10.9 points.

Democratic PartyDistrict 14

Who won this race?

Democratic incumbent Shenna Bellows defeated Republican Matthew Stone.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Shenna Bellows (incumbent)
Republican Party Matthew Stone

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Shenna Bellows (D) was first elected in 2016. She received 44.8 percent of the vote and defeated her Republican challenger by 7.9 points. An independent candidate received 18.3 percent of the vote. District 14 was one of 17 Maine Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 14 by 2.4 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 12.1 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 16

Who won this race?

Republican incumbent Scott Cyrway defeated Democrat Karen Kusiak.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Karen Kusiak
Republican Party Scott Cyrway (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Scott Cyrway (R) was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016. He received 54.0 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 8.0 points. District 16 was one of 17 Maine Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 16 by 0.7 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 18.6 points.

Democratic PartyDistrict 23

Who won this race?

Democratic incumbent Eloise Vitelli defeated Republican Richard Donaldson.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Eloise Vitelli (incumbent)
Republican Party Richard Donaldson

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Eloise Vitelli (D) was first elected in 2016. She received 52.9 percent of the vote and defeated her Republican challenger by 5.8 points. District 23 was one of 18 Maine Senate districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 23 by 6.0 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 16.3 points.

Battleground races map

Campaign activity

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[3][4][5]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

  • The Maine Democratic State Committee reported more than $190,000 in expenditures to support Democratic Senate candidates on September 7.[6]
  • The National Association of Realtors Fund reported $50,000 in expenditures to support Republican Senate candidates on September 7.[6]
  • Rebuild Maine reported more than $120,000 in expenditures to support Democratic Senate candidates on September 7.[6]

Maine political history

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas

Party control

2018

In the 2018 elections, Democrats gained control of the Maine State Senate.

Maine State Senate
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 17 21
     Republican Party 18 14
Total 35 35

2016

In the 2016 elections, Republicans maintained their majority in the Maine State Senate, but Democrats gained two seats.

Maine State Senate
Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
     Democratic Party 15 17
     Republican Party 20 18
Total 35 35

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Democrats in Maine held a state government trifecta from 2003 to 2010. Republicans held a trifecta from 2011 to 2012.

Maine Party Control: 1992-2025
Fifteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R I I I I I I I I D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate D D D R R D D D D S S D D D D D D D D R R D D R R R R D D D D D D D
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D

Impact of term limits

See also: Impact of term limits on state senate elections in 2018 and Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2018

The Maine State Senate has been a term-limited state Senate since Maine voters approved Question 1 in 1993. Under this law, state senators can serve no more than four consecutive two-year terms. The Maine State Legislature tried, unsuccessfully, in 2007 to get the state's voters to extend the number of years they could consecutively serve in office by putting the Maine Term Limits Extension act on the ballot. Voters overwhelmingly rejected it by 67 percent of the vote.

All 35 seats in the Maine State Senate were up for election in 2018. In the 2018 elections, eight senators were ineligible to run because of term limits. The following state senators were term-limited in 2018:

Democratic: (1)

Republicans (7):

Of the 87 state legislative chambers that held elections in 2018, 24 of them—12 senate chambers and 12 house chambers—included incumbents who were unable to run for re-election due to term limits.[7] In the 24 chambers affected by term limits in 2018, 1,463 seats were up for election.[8] The Nevada Senate, Arkansas House, and Arkansas Senate are impacted by term limits, but no incumbents were term-limited in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.

A total of 271 state legislators—96 state senators and 175 state representatives—were ineligible to run in the 2018 elections because of term limits. This represented 4 percent of the 6,066 total seats up for election in November 2018.[9][10] Republicans had twice as many state legislators term-limited in 2018 than Democrats. A total of 86 Democrats were term-limited, while 177 Republicans were term-limited.

Political context of the 2018 elections

2017 partial state government shutdown

See also: Potential government shutdowns

In 2017, Maine was one of three state governments that experienced a partial government shutdown or the implementation of spending cuts to nonessential government services. State governments establish annual spending and revenue levels by agreeing on a budget, a process that involves both the legislative and executive branches of government. For 46 states, budgets operate along fiscal years that run from July 1 to June 30—the four states that operate along other timelines are New York, Texas, Alabama, and Michigan. When a state's legislative and executive branches fail to settle on a budget agreement before the end of a fiscal year, this sometimes results in cuts to government services or partial government shutdowns in which nonessential services cease to operate until a budget deal is reached. Nonessential services include things like Bureau of Motor Vehicle branches, state parks, and state lotteries. Read below about the details of Maine's 2017 partial government shutdown.

  • A partial government shutdown ended in Maine on July 4, 2017, after Governor Paul LePage signed a $7.1 billion, two-year budget passed by the legislature. The final compromises were over the elimination of a proposed lodging tax increase and the allocation of additional money for public education. House Republicans were able to see the removal of an increase in the lodging tax from 9 percent to 10.5 percent. Democrats got additional funding to Head Start and Clean Election programs, as well as $162 million to go towards K-12 spending.[11]
  • Non-essential government services—such as state parks and Bureau of Motor Vehicle offices—were shut down after a budget had not been signed by July 1. The last time Maine’s government shutdown was a 16-day shutdown in 1991.[12] The 2017 shutdown was resolved after three days. Maine’s legislative session was originally scheduled to end on June 21, but lawmakers voted to extend the 2017 legislative session by five days, not required to be concurrent. The cost of the five-day extension of the session was estimated to be $94,600.[13]
  • The key issue throughout much of Maine’s 2017 legislative session was a voter approved ballot measure called Question 2, which authorized an additional 3 percent tax on the portion of any household income exceeding $200,000 per year and earmarked the revenue to fund public education. The budget deal included the repeal of Question 2.

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to state legislative elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose 494 seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 state legislative waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

State legislative wave elections
Year President Party Election type State legislative seats change Elections analyzed[14]
1932 Hoover R Presidential -1,022 7,365
1922 Harding R First midterm -907 6,907
1966 Johnson D First midterm[15] -782 7,561
1938 Roosevelt D Second midterm -769 7,179
1958 Eisenhower R Second midterm -702 7,627
2010 Obama D First midterm -702 7,306
1974 Ford R Second midterm[16] -695 7,481
1920 Wilson D Presidential -654 6,835
1930 Hoover R Presidential -640 7,361
1954 Eisenhower R First midterm -494 7,513

Candidate and office information

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Maine

For party candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 21-A, Chapter 5, Subchapter 1, Article 4 of the Maine Revised Statutes

Political party candidates must petition for placement on the primary election ballot. Signature requirements vary according to the office being sought.[17][18]

Signature requirements for party candidates
Office sought Required signatures
Governor, United States Senator At least 2,000 signatures, but no more than 3,000
United States Representative At least 1,000 signatures, but no more than 1,500
State Senator At least 100 signatures, but no more than 150
State Representative At least 25 signatures, but no more than 40

Before petitions can be submitted to the Maine Secretary of State, signatures must be verified by the registrar of voters or municipal clerk in the municipality where the signatures were collected. For more information regarding specific petition requirements, see below.[17][18]

A political party candidate must also submit a "Consent of Candidate" form. The form must contain a statement signed by the candidate indicating that he or she will accept the nomination of the primary election. The form must also include the candidate's address, party designation, and a statement indicating that the candidate meets the qualifications for the office being sought. The candidate must sign the form before a notary public. The "Consent of Candidate" form must be filed along with the candidate's petition paperwork.[19][18]

The filing deadline is set by state statutes as 5 p.m. on March 15 in the year of the election. If March 15 falls on a non-business day, the deadline is extended to the next business day.[17]

For independent candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 21-A, Chapter 5, Subchapter 2 of the Maine Revised Statutes

Independent candidates must petition for placement on the general election ballot. Signature requirements vary according to the office being sought.[20]

Signature requirements for independent candidates
Office sought Required signatures
Governor, United States Senator At least 4,000 signatures, but no more than 6,000
United States Representative At least 2,000 signatures, but no more than 3,000
State Senator At least 200 signatures, but no more than 300
State Representative At least 50 signatures, but no more than 80

Before petitions can be submitted to the Maine Secretary of State, signatures must be verified by the registrar of voters or municipal clerk in the municipality where the signatures were collected. Petitions for independent candidates must be submitted for verification by 5 p.m. on May 25 (this date is set by state statutes; in the event that May 25 falls on a non-business day, the deadline is extended to the next business day). For more information regarding specific petition requirements, see below.[20][18]

An independent candidate must also file a "Non-party Candidate's Consent" form. The form must include the candidate's address, a declaration that the candidate has not been enrolled in a qualified political party after March 1 of the election year, and a statement indicating that the candidate meets the qualifications for the office being sought. The candidate must sign the form before a notary public. The "Non-party Candidate's Consent" form must be filed along with the candidate's petition paperwork.[21][18]

The filing deadline is set by statute as 5 p.m. on June 1 of the election year. If June 1 falls on a non-business day, the deadline is extended to the next business day.[20]

For write-in candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 21-A, Chapter 9, Subchapter 3, Article 1 of the Maine Revised Statutes

In order to have his or her votes tallied, a write-in candidate for either the primary or general election must file a declaration of write-in candidacy with the Maine Secretary of State by 5 p.m. on the 45th day prior to the election.[22]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Section 6 of Part 2 of Article 4 of the Maine Constitution states, "The Senators shall be 25 years of age at the commencement of the term, for which they are elected, and in all other respects their qualifications shall be the same as those of the Representatives."

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[23]
SalaryPer diem
$16,245.12 for the first regular session. $11,668.32 for the second regular session.$70/day for lodging (or round-trip mileage up to $0.55/mile in lieu of housing, plus tolls). $50/day for meals.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Maine legislators assume office on the first Wednesday of December following the general election.[24][25]

Competitiveness

Every year, Ballotpedia uses official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Nationally, there has been a steady decline in electoral competitiveness since 2010. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition has dropped by more than 10 percent.

Results from 2016

Click here to read the full study »


Historical context

See also: Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections: 1972-2014

Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.

F5 Pop. % with uncontested state legislative races.png

Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.

Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.

Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Eight of 16 Maine counties—50 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Androscoggin County, Maine 9.38% 12.78% 15.22%
Aroostook County, Maine 17.19% 7.62% 9.58%
Franklin County, Maine 5.47% 18.41% 20.29%
Kennebec County, Maine 3.58% 13.46% 14.78%
Oxford County, Maine 12.94% 14.73% 16.04%
Penobscot County, Maine 10.91% 2.93% 5.12%
Somerset County, Maine 22.67% 1.68% 5.70%
Washington County, Maine 18.44% 1.60% 1.01%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Maine with 47.8 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.9 percent. In 2016, Maine had four electoral votes. Maine's share of electoral votes represented 0.7 percent of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs in the general election and 1.5 percent of the 270 votes needed to be elected president. Maine awards its electoral votes by congressional district and the popular vote. It has two electoral votes for the statewide vote and one for each of its two congressional districts. In presidential elections between 1820 and 2016, Maine voted Republican 67.3 percent of the time and Democratic 32.6 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Maine voted Democratic all five times.[26]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Senate districts in Maine. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[27][28]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 31 out of 35 state Senate districts in Maine with an average margin of victory of 17.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 18 out of 35 state Senate districts in Maine with an average margin of victory of 16.4 points. Clinton won five districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won four out of 35 state Senate districts in Maine with an average margin of victory of 7.6 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 17 out of 35 state Senate districts in Maine with an average margin of victory of 13.7 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Excludes unopposed elections
  2. ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
  3. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  4. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  5. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Central Maine, "Democratic super PAC spends almost $500,000 to back Janet Mills for governor," September 7, 2018
  7. ↑ The Nevada Senate, Arkansas House, and Arkansas Senate were up for election in 2018 and have term limits, but no incumbents were term-limited in 2018.
  8. ↑ The Nevada Senate, Arkansas House, and Arkansas Senate are impacted by term limits, but no incumbents were term-limited in 2018. In the three chambers, a total of 129 seats were up for election in 2018. No legislators were unable to run in 2018 in those three chamber because of term limits.
  9. ↑ Ballotpedia confirmed through phone calls that at least seven California legislators were term-limited in 2018. The number of California legislators term-limited and the overall number of term-limited state legislators had a chance to change if Ballotpedia could confirm that more members were term-limited in 2018.
  10. ↑ Some of the 271 term-limited state legislators in 2018 may resign before their term ends. These legislators were still counted in the total number of term-limited legislators in 2018.
  11. ↑ pressherald.com, "New state budget sends more money to public schools in Maine," July 5, 2017
  12. ↑ pressherald.com, "State workers bracing for worst as threat of a shutdown looms," June 22, 2017
  13. ↑ pressherald.com, "Legislature votes to extend session to try to resolve budget impasse," June 21, 2017
  14. ↑ The number of state legislative seats available for analysis varied, with as many as 7,795 and as few as 6,835.
  15. ↑ Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
  16. ↑ Gerald Ford's (R) first term began in August 1974 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (R), who was first elected in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972. Because Ford only served for two full months before facing the electorate, this election is classified as Nixon's second midterm.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Maine Revised Statutes, "Title 21-A, Chapter 5, Article 4, Section 335," accessed February 10, 2014
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Maine Secretary of State, "State of Maine 2014 Candidate's Guide to Ballot Access," accessed February 10, 2014
  19. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Title 21-A, Chapter 5, Subchapter 1, Article 4, Section 336," accessed February 10, 2014
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Maine Revised Statutes, "Title 21-A, Chapter 5, Subchapter 2, Section 354," accessed February 10, 2014
  21. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Title 21-A, Chapter 5, Subchapter 2, Section 355," accessed February 10, 2014
  22. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Title 21-A, Chapter 9, Subchapter 3, Article 1, Section 722-A," accessed February 10, 2014
  23. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  24. ↑ Maine Constitution, "Article IV. Part First., Section 2," accessed November 1, 2021
  25. ↑ Maine Constitution, "Article IV. Part Second., Section 5," accessed November 1, 2021
  26. ↑ 270towin.com, "Maine," accessed June 1, 2017
  27. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  28. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017


Current members of the Maine State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Matthea Daughtry
Majority Leader:Teresa Pierce
Senators
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District 2
District 3
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District 10
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District 21
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District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
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Democratic Party (20)
Republican Party (15)


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