Thanks for the update.My recollection is that Pingree ran against Collins, lost and then went off to Common Cause. If that was 2002, then Time is running much too fast and I’ll probably die of advanced old age before I can post this note. At that time, Pingree looked as if she’d just finished a twice daily chore of slopping the pigs. I took an interest because I was P.O.’d at Collins for being insufficiently conservative and realized what horrors awaited us were she to lose. It’s frightening that Pingree seems to be establishing a hard left dynasty.
It’s good news that they’ll both be around. If LePage is the TP candidate, I’ll Google him and send some money.
In the PRNJ, we kicked Corzine out last year so miracles are indeed comprehensible. Be well and be optimistic!
Susan Collins was a legislative assistant to former Maine U.S. Senator William Cohen from 1975 - 1987.
In 1994, Susan Collins won a GOP primary against seven other Republicans to win the nomination for governor of Maine. Many Republicans didn’t like her because of liberal views on social issues. It didn’t help when her brother was arrested during the campaign for his involvement in a $1 million marijuana distribution operation. Collins ran against democrat Joe Brennan, a former governor, and independent Angus King. Collins came in third, with 23% of the vote. Angus King won, and was re-elected four years later.
Collins was State Treasurer in Massachusetts for a brief time in the early 1990’s. She moved back to Maine and was the president of Husson College in Bangor for awhile. When William Cohen retired from the Senate in order to become Clinton’s second defense secretary, Collins ran for Cohen’s Senate seat in 1996 after beating three other Republicans in the primary. She ran against Joe Brennan (again), and beat him in the general election 49% to 44%.
Like you said, Collins ran against State Senator Chellie Pingree....an ultra lib....in 2002. Collins won re-election, beating Pingree 58% to 42%. Pingree, as you mentioned, was involved with the liberal group Common Cause before being elected to Maine’s 1st congressional district seat in 2008.
Even though Collins said she would serve for just two terms, she ran for re-election in 2008 against retiring 1st district congressman Tom Allen, beating him 61.5% to 38.5%.
In 2002 and 2008, Collins carried every county in Maine.
Collins is from the northern-most part of Maine, Aroostook County, where her family has been in the lumber business since 1844.
As for Olympia Snowe, she first ran for public office in 1973. Her first husband, Peter Snowe, was a member of the Maine House and he was killed in a car accident. His widow, Olympia Snowe, ran for, and won, his seat in the Maine House. She eventually ran for the 2nd district congressional seat and won. When George Mitchell retired from the U.S. Senate, Snowe ran for, and won, his Senate seat.
Snowe has been married for more than 20 years to her second husband, John McKernan Jr. McKernan was Maine’s GOP governor from 1987 - 1995. About 20 or 21 years ago, he lowered Maine’s sales tax from 6% to 5%, and it’s been 5% ever since.
You’re lucky you have Christie as your governor....he tells it like it is.