United States House of Representatives elections in Maine, 2012
Encyclopedia
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the two U.S. Representatives
from the state of Maine
, one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections will coincide with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election
and an election to the U.S. Senate
.
laws to redraw the boundaries of their congressional districts based on the 2010 United States Census in advance of the 2012 elections, Maine law requires that redistricting be done in 2013. In March 2011, a lawsuit
was filed asking a U.S. district judge
to ensure redistricting is completed in time for the 2012 elections. According to the Census, the 1st district
had a population of 8,669 greater than that of the 2nd district
. The Maine Democratic Party
, which opposes the lawsuit, was granted intervenor status, and argues that the lawsuit constitutes an attempt by the Maine Republican Party
to force Representatives Chellie Pingree
and Mike Michaud
, both of whom are Democrats, to run in the same district. On June 9, 2011, a panel of three federal judges agreed that failing to redistrict would be unconstitutional, and that the state should redraw the boundaries of its districts immediately.
Governor
Paul LePage
will call a special session
of the Maine Legislature
on September 27 to consider a redistricting plan. On August 15, both Republicans and Democrats released redistricting proposals. The Republican plan would move Lincoln County
, Knox County
(including Pingree's hometown of North Haven
) and Sagadahoc County
from the 1st district to the 2nd, and move Oxford County
and Androscoggin County
from the 2nd district to the 1st, thereby making the 2nd district more favorable to Republicans. The Democratic plan, meanwhile, would not significantly change the current districts: only Vassalboro
would be moved from the 1st district to the 2nd.
, who has represented Maine's 1st congressional district
since 2009, is expected to run for re-election. Merchant marine
Patrick Calder, a Republican, has filed with the Federal Election Commission
to challenge Pingree. State Senate
majority leader Jon Courtney
, former Secretary of State
Mark Gartley and businessman Richard Snow also may run for the Republican nomination. Shawn Moody
, who unsuccessfully ran for Governor
in 2010
as an independent
, may run for Congress in the 1st district as an independent or as a Republican.
External links
, who has represented Maine's 2nd congressional district
since 2003, is expected to run for re-election. Kevin Raye
, the president of the Maine Senate
, has formed an exploratory committee
to seek the Republican nomination to challenge Michaud. Jason Levesque, a businessman and unsuccessful candidate for the 2nd district in 2010, may run for the Republican nomination to challenge Michaud.
External links
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from the state of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections will coincide with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
and an election to the U.S. Senate
United States Senate election in Maine, 2012
The 2012 United States Senate election in Maine will be held on November 6, 2012 alongside a presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent...
.
Redistricting
Unlike most states, which will pass or have passed redistrictingRedistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
laws to redraw the boundaries of their congressional districts based on the 2010 United States Census in advance of the 2012 elections, Maine law requires that redistricting be done in 2013. In March 2011, a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
was filed asking a U.S. district judge
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
to ensure redistricting is completed in time for the 2012 elections. According to the Census, the 1st district
Maine's 1st congressional district
Maine's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maine. The geographically smaller of the two congressional districts in the state, the district covers the southern coastal area of the state. The district consists of all of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc,...
had a population of 8,669 greater than that of the 2nd district
Maine's 2nd congressional district
Maine's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maine. Covering , it comprises nearly 80% of the state. It is the largest district east of the Mississippi River and the 24th-largest overall. The district consists of all of the state north of the Portland and...
. The Maine Democratic Party
Maine Democratic Party
The Maine Democratic Party is the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of Maine.-Current Democratic officeholders:The Maine Democratic Party is the minority party in both the Maine Senate and Maine House of Representatives. The party, however, holds both of the state's U.S...
, which opposes the lawsuit, was granted intervenor status, and argues that the lawsuit constitutes an attempt by the Maine Republican Party
Maine Republican Party
The Maine Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Maine. It was founded in Strong, Maine on August 7, 1854. The state Chairman is Charles M. Webster....
to force Representatives Chellie Pingree
Chellie Pingree
Rochelle M. "Chellie" Pingree is an American politician. She is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing since 2009. The district includes most of the southern part of the state, including Portland and Augusta.Pingree was a member of the Maine Senate from...
and Mike Michaud
Mike Michaud
Michael Herman Michaud is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district comprises nearly 80% of the state by area and includes the cities of Lewiston, Auburn, Bangor, and Presque Isle...
, both of whom are Democrats, to run in the same district. On June 9, 2011, a panel of three federal judges agreed that failing to redistrict would be unconstitutional, and that the state should redraw the boundaries of its districts immediately.
Governor
Governor of Maine
The governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive....
Paul LePage
Paul LePage
Paul Richard LePage is an American businessman and politician who is serving as the 74th and current Governor of Maine. A Republican, he was previously mayor of Waterville from 2003 to 2011, and was a city councilor before that...
will call a special session
Special session
In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...
of the Maine Legislature
Maine Legislature
The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate...
on September 27 to consider a redistricting plan. On August 15, both Republicans and Democrats released redistricting proposals. The Republican plan would move Lincoln County
Lincoln County, Maine
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 34,457. Its county seat is Wiscasset. It was founded in 1760 and named after the English city Lincoln. At its founding, it accounted for three-fifths of the State's land, and stretched east to Nova...
, Knox County
Knox County, Maine
Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 39,736. Its county seat is Rockland. The county is named for American Revolutionary War general and Secretary of War Henry Knox, who lived in the county from 1795 until his death in 1806. The county was...
(including Pingree's hometown of North Haven
North Haven, Maine
North Haven is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States, in Penobscot Bay. The town is both a year-round island community and a prominent summer colony. The population was 381 at the 2000 census...
) and Sagadahoc County
Sagadahoc County, Maine
Sagadahoc County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 35,293. Its county seat is Bath. In total area, it is the smallest county in Maine....
from the 1st district to the 2nd, and move Oxford County
Oxford County, Maine
Oxford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine with a population of 57,833 as of the 2010 U.S. census. Its county seat is Paris.Part of Oxford County is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, metropolitan New England City and Town Area while a different part of Oxford County is...
and Androscoggin County
Androscoggin County, Maine
Androscoggin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the county's population was 107,702. Its county seat is Auburn...
from the 2nd district to the 1st, thereby making the 2nd district more favorable to Republicans. The Democratic plan, meanwhile, would not significantly change the current districts: only Vassalboro
Vassalboro, Maine
Vassalboro is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,047 at the 2000 Census. Vassalboro includes the villages of South Vassalboro, North Vassalboro, and East Vassalboro, home to the town library and sports field.-History:...
would be moved from the 1st district to the 2nd.
District 1
Democrat Chellie PingreeChellie Pingree
Rochelle M. "Chellie" Pingree is an American politician. She is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing since 2009. The district includes most of the southern part of the state, including Portland and Augusta.Pingree was a member of the Maine Senate from...
, who has represented Maine's 1st congressional district
Maine's 1st congressional district
Maine's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maine. The geographically smaller of the two congressional districts in the state, the district covers the southern coastal area of the state. The district consists of all of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc,...
since 2009, is expected to run for re-election. Merchant marine
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
Patrick Calder, a Republican, has filed with the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
to challenge Pingree. State Senate
Maine Senate
The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution allows for "an odd number of Senators, not less than...
majority leader Jon Courtney
Jonathan Courtney
Jonathan Courtney is a Maine politician. A Springvale resident, Courtney represents the 3rd Senate District. He was first elected in 2004 and is unable to run for re-election due to term limits in 2012. He is the Republican Party's Majority Leader in the State Senate.-References:...
, former Secretary of State
Secretary of State of Maine
The Secretary of State of Maine is elected by the Legislature in that U.S. state. The Maine Secretary of State is responsible for administering elections, the Maine State Archives, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and for chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to no more than two...
Mark Gartley and businessman Richard Snow also may run for the Republican nomination. Shawn Moody
Shawn Moody
Shawn H. Moody is a Maine entrepreneur, and former Independent candidate for Governor of Maine.-Personal life:Moody grew up in Gorham, Maine, and is the youngest of three children...
, who unsuccessfully ran for Governor
Governor of Maine
The governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive....
in 2010
Maine gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor John Baldacci was term-limited and unable to seek re-election. Primary elections took place on June 8, 2010...
as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, may run for Congress in the 1st district as an independent or as a Republican.
External links
District 2
Democrat Mike MichaudMike Michaud
Michael Herman Michaud is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district comprises nearly 80% of the state by area and includes the cities of Lewiston, Auburn, Bangor, and Presque Isle...
, who has represented Maine's 2nd congressional district
Maine's 2nd congressional district
Maine's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maine. Covering , it comprises nearly 80% of the state. It is the largest district east of the Mississippi River and the 24th-largest overall. The district consists of all of the state north of the Portland and...
since 2003, is expected to run for re-election. Kevin Raye
Kevin Raye
Kevin L. Raye is an American politician. Raye is a Republican member of the Maine Senate, representing the 29th district in northeastern Washington County...
, the president of the Maine Senate
Maine Senate
The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution allows for "an odd number of Senators, not less than...
, has formed an exploratory committee
Exploratory Committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to United States Presidential hopefuls, prior to the primaries.Exploratory...
to seek the Republican nomination to challenge Michaud. Jason Levesque, a businessman and unsuccessful candidate for the 2nd district in 2010, may run for the Republican nomination to challenge Michaud.
External links