MAINE 4 Electoral Votes
Population 
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Maine Department of the Secretary of State)

Total Population, July 2008 est.                  1,316,456
Total Registration, Nov. 2008                        942,825
Dem. 310,950 (32.98%)   Rep. 258,147 (27.38%)   Grn Ind. 27,354 (2.90%)   Unenrolled 346,374 (36.74%)
Maine has: 16 counties.
Five largest counties: Cumberland, York, Penobscot, Kennebec, Androscoggin. >

Government
Governor: John Baldacci (D) elected 2002, re-elected in 2006.
State Legislature: Maine Legislature   House: 151 seats   Senate: 35 seats
Local: Local Government   NACO Counties
U.S. House: 2D - 1. T.Allen (D) | 2. M.Michaud (D).
U.S. Senate: Susan Collins (R) up for re-election in 2008, Olympia Snowe (R) re-elected in 2006.

2008
update    
U.S. Senate:  Sen. Susan Collins (R) won re-election, defeating Rep. Tom Allen (D) by 444,300 votes (61.33%) to 279,510 votes (38.58%) and 620 votes for others.
U.S. House:  In the race for the 1st CD seat (southern coastal Maine up to Augusta), Chellie Pingree (D) defeated former state Sen. Charles Summers (R) by 205,629 votes (54.90%) to 168,930 votes (45.10%) keeping both U.S. House seats in Democratic control.  MORE

The Pine Tree State
 State of Maine
Secretary of State

Constitution Party of ME
Green Indep. Party of ME
Libertarian Party of ME
ME Democratic Party
ME Republican Party

Portland Press Herald
Bangor Daily News
Newspapers
TV, Radio

Politics1-ME


Note. Maine Statutes, Title 21A § 802 states, "One presidential elector shall be chosen for each congressional district and 2 at large."
 
 
General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting Eligible Population*: 1,024,699.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 71.4%
.

Total Registration: 942,825.

Official Results >


McCain/Palin (Rep.)
295,273
(40.38)
McKinney/Clemente (GrnInd.)
2,900
(0.40)
Nader/Gonzalez (Ind.)
10,636
(1.45)
+Obama/Biden (Dem.)
421,923
(57.71)
Others
431
(0.05)
Total........731,163

Total votes cast: 744,456
2008 Overview
Maine was one of six states where the turnout rate in the presidential election was actually less than in 2004.  The Obama-Biden ticket won with a plurality of 126,650 votes (17.33 percentage points).  McCain visited Kennebunkport and South Portland on July 21, Sarah Palin rallied in Bangor on Oct. 16, and Todd Palin made several stops on Oct. 11-12.  The McCain campaign made a play for the 2nd CD, hoping to pick up one electoral vote, but the margin there was 189,778 votes for Obama (54.61%) to 150,669 votes for McCain (43.35%) and 7,090 for Nader, McKinney and others. 
Obama/Allies  |  McCain/Allies  |  Nader
[State Primary Election: June 10, 2008]
Municipal Caucuses 
Republicans February 1-3, 2008.  Democrats Sunday, February 10, 2008
Democrats >
34 Delegates (24 Pledged, 10 Unpledged) and 4 Alternates.
0.84% of the 4,049 Delegate Votes.

Clinton  | Obama
former:
Edwards
Richardson - John Connors, President-Labor Council for Latino American Advancement and State Rep. Boyd Marley (announced Oct. 3, 2007)

Feb. 10, 2008 Caucus Results>

CD1
CD2
Total
 
Clinton
681
716
1,392
 
+Obama
1,163
916
2,084
 
Uncommitted
9
9
18
 
Other
0
3
4
 
Total
1,853
1,644
3,498

Total Attendees: 43,866



Projected National Delegates: Clinton 9, Obama 15.
Releases: Maine Democratic Party

Republicans >
21 Delegates: 3 RNC; 12 at-large; 6 by CD (3 x 2 CDs) and 18 Alternates.
0.88% of the 2,380 Delegates. 

Feb. 1-3, 2008 - Municipal Caucuses
May 2, 2008 - District Caucuses
May 3, 2008 - State Convention

McCain  |  Paul  |  Romney
former: Giuliani

Feb. 1-3, 2008 Presidential Preference Survey Results (non-binding)
97% of 347 towns reporting >
 
+Mitt Romney
2,826
52%
John McCain
1,149
21%
Ron Paul
999
18%
Mike Huckabee
315
6%
Undecided
136
2%
Others: Write-in (9), Fred Thompson (8), Rudy Giuliani (3), Alan Keyes (1), John Cox (0), Duncan Hunter (0)
21
 
Total
5,446

Releases: ME GOP (01/31/08), Romney (02/02/08), Paul (02/04/08)


General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Voting Eligible Population: 1,003,792.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 73.8%.


Registration: Dem. 319,198 (31.17%)   Rep. 287,452 (28.07%)   Grn Ind. 24,155 (2.36%)   Unenrolled 393,151 (38.40%)   ...Total 1,023,956.

Official Results


Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.)
1,965
(0.27)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
330,201
(44.58)
Cobb/LaMarche (Grn.Indep.)
2,936
(0.40)
+Kerry/Edwards (Dem.) 396,842 (53.57)
Nader/Camejo (The Better Life) 8,069
(1.09)
Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.)
735
(0.10)
Others
4
Total........740,752
 

2004 Overview
The Kerry campaign secured a plurality of 66,641 votes (8.99 percentage points).  Kerry carried the 1st CD by 55.07% to 43.14% with 1.79% to the other four candidates (211,703 to 165,824 and 6,865).  The 2nd CD was somewhat closer 51.95% to 46.13% and 1.92% (185,139 to 164,377 and 6,844).  The presence of Mainer Pat LaMarche on the Green Independent ticket did not help its performance significantly.
General Election Details
Kerry/Allies  |  Bush/Cheney '04
[Primary Election and Referendum Election:  June 8, 2004]
General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000
Voting Eligible Population: 969,292.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 67.2%.


Registration:
Dem. 297,405 (31.40%)   Rep. 278,228 (29.37%)   Ref. 3,114 (0.33%)   Grn Ind. 8,743 (0.92%)  Unenrolled 359,699 (37.98%)   ...Total 947,189.
Official Results           


Browne/Olivier (Lib.)
3,074
(0.47)
Buchanan/Foster (Ref.)
4,443
(0.68)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
286,616
(43.97)
+Gore-Lieberman (Dem.)
319,951
(49.09)
Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)
 37,127
(5.70)
Phillips/Frazier (Const.)
 579
(0.09)
Other
 27
 - 
Total........651,817

2000 Overview
In 1992 and 1996, Mainers provided Ross Perot with his strongest showings percentagewise of any state. They have twice elected independent Angus King as governor.  While the two House members are Democrats, both Senators are Republicans.  About 38% of the electorate are unenrolled voters.  In short, Maine's voters tend to be independent-minded.  In 2000 they backed Gore with a plurality of 33,335 votes (5.12 percentage points).  He carried the 1st CD, which covers Southern Maine up to Augusta, by 50.52% to 42.59% with 5.82% for Nader (176,293 to 148,618 and 20,297).  The 2nd CD was closer--indeed right up to Election Night the Bush camp had hopes of gaining one elector--but it did go for Gore 47.43% to 45.56% with 5.56% for Nader (143,658 to 137,998 and 16,830).
General Election Activities

1992 and 1996 General Elections
  1992
Clinton (Dem.).......263,420
(38.76)
Perot (Ind.)............206,820
(30.43)
Bush (Rep.)...........206,504
(30.39)
Others (3+w/ins)........2,755
(0.41)
Total........679,499

1996
Clinton (Dem.).......312,788
(51.62)
Dole (Rep.)............186,378
(30.76)
Perot (Ref.).............85,970
(14.19)
Nader (Grn.).............15,279
(2.52)
Others (3+w/ins).......5,482
(0.90)
Total........605,897
2004 page >
2000 page >


Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.