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‘Red Wave’ May Recede to Become a Ripple in Maine After Stunning Democrat Win
Epoch Times ^
| 06/22/2022
| Steven Kovac
Posted on 06/22/2022 10:41:34 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
One takeaway from the Maine Republican Party’s stunning June 14 loss of a closely watched special election to fill a vacant state senate seat in a key swing district is that social issues matter.
The reverberations of the landslide victory of two-term state Rep. Nicole Grohoski, a progressive Democrat from Ellsworth, continue to rock the Republican narrative of a coming “Red Wave” in this fall’s midterm elections.
The Maine GOP put up as its candidate a well-known businessman, Brian Langley, also of Ellsworth, who had been elected twice to represent the 7th District until he was term-limited out in 2018.
In Maine, a term-limited official can come back to run for the same office again as long as the new bid is not consecutive with the previous terms.
Grohoski garnered 64 percent of the vote, easily defeating Langley who received 35 percent.
Langley told The Epoch Times that a very low voter turnout by Republicans was a significant factor in his loss.
“I was surprised by the numbers,” he said.
On the Monday before the June 14 election, Maine’s secretary of state reported that in the 7th District 1,500 registered Democrats had returned absentee ballots compared to 329 Republicans—a sign that boded ill for Langley.
Conservative activist and former four-term state representative Larry Lockman told The Epoch Times, “The ‘Red Wave’ turned into a ‘Blue Wave in District 7.’
“Grohoski marches in lockstep with the lunatic leftist leadership of the Maine Democrat Party and their extremist policies, yet she won handily.
“Langley stayed tightly focused on inflation and gas prices. He tried to link Grohoski with Joe Biden.
“He steered clear of the ‘culture war’ issues that are really troubling Mainers. How did that work out for him?”
Lockman said Langley failed to boldly stand with parents who are “fed up with CRT indoctrination and pick-your-pronoun, gender-bender madness” in their schools.
“Conservative Mainers are upset about the deliberate hyper-sexualization of their children and with biological boys playing girls’ sports and sharing locker rooms,” he said.
According to Lockman, Grohoski is a strong advocate for all those things.
“Langley’s failure to clearly differentiate himself from Grohoski on those important issues caused Republican voters to stay home in droves,” Lockman said.
Grohoski did not respond to a request for comment.
In a written statement, Gaetan Davis, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, said, “Nicole Grohoski ran an outstanding campaign. Her victory is due in large part to the dozens of Democratic activists who came out to enthusiastically support her candidacy.”
Carroll Conley, executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, told The Epoch Times that his group could not endorse Langley because he is pro-choice on abortion.
“He is not a conservative. There wasn’t enough of a contrast between him and Grohoski,” he said.
The non-partisan, non-denominational, Christian Civic League’s mission is to bring a biblical perspective to public policy and to advocate for traditional family values.
“We back candidates that stand for parental rights and let voters know who they are,” said Conley.
Langley questions why the state of Maine chose to hold the special election on the day of the June 14 primary instead of earlier in the spring.
In the quirkiness of Maine politics, on the same day that Langley lost the special election to Grohoski, he won the Republican primary for state senator; and will face Grohoski, who won the Democrat primary, in the general election on Nov. 8.
Further complicating matters, there was a shift in the boundary lines defining District 7 due to redistricting.
The result was some voters who voted for either Langley or Grohoski in the special election could not vote for either in the primary because the voter would no longer be in the new district—and some voters could not vote for either in the special election because they are not yet in the newly drawn District 7.
The confusion caused by people having to vote on two different ballots for the same candidates likely affected Grohoski and Langley equally.
However, Langley said that in four towns his name was only on the primary ballot—something he can’t explain.
Grohoski will bring the advantage of incumbency to the general election but will probably not cast a single vote in the current state senate because the legislature is not scheduled to reconvene until December.
She is serving out the unexpired term of former state senator Louis Luchini, who resigned the seat to take a job in the Biden administration.
Luchini defeated Langley when he tried to retake his old seat in 2020.
Democrats hold a 22-13 majority in the state senate and an 82-65 majority in the state house of representatives.
Langley told The Epoch Times that the November election will present a far different scenario than the special election, in which Grohoski and the Democrat Party out-spent Langley and the Republican Party $270,000 to $64,000.
“I intend to keep hammering on the economic issues and education is something I will push a lot more,” said Langley.
According to Langley, the new District 7 consists of 32 percent (11,057) registered Democrats, 28 percent (10,242) registered Republicans; and about 10,000 registered voters who have not declared a party affiliation.
The redrawn District 7 slightly increases the edge for the Democrats in the swing district.
Maine Republicans also suffered a setback in a school board race in Falmouth where two Democrat candidates captured two open seats defeating two Republicans.
TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Maine
KEYWORDS: bidenvoters; democrat; epochslimes; maine; redwave
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To: 1Old Pro
Again, I live in Maine and the GOP here leaves a lot to be desired.
81
posted on
06/23/2022 6:39:03 AM PDT
by
july4thfreedomfoundation
(My body, my choice....but not when it comes down to unconstitutional "vaccine" mandates.)
To: july4thfreedomfoundation
Again, I live in Maine and the GOP here leaves a lot to be desired.same here in NY, the party is on life support.
82
posted on
06/23/2022 6:41:10 AM PDT
by
1Old Pro
To: imabadboy99
Expect more of this in the coming mid-terms
83
posted on
06/23/2022 6:42:55 AM PDT
by
38special
(I should've said something earlier)
To: 1Old Pro
The GOP in Maine is not very well funded.
The dems have boatloads of money, much of it from out-of-state.
Former gov. LePage, who is running for governor again this Fall after being term-limited in 2018, said he receives 85% of his donations from within the state.
Janet Mills, the current governor, gets boatloads of money from outside the state.
84
posted on
06/23/2022 6:49:01 AM PDT
by
july4thfreedomfoundation
(My body, my choice....but not when it comes down to unconstitutional "vaccine" mandates.)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
I would concentrate on those four towns where he apparently only appeared on the primary ballot. Interesting.
Hadn't heard this.
85
posted on
06/23/2022 7:08:30 AM PDT
by
kiryandil
(China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
To: SeekAndFind
The author is reading a lot into a state senate election. I think it is important not to get complacent about this November’s elections, but was a very local, off cycle election. A lot depends on the dynamics in the community.
I couldn’t find vote totals in a cursory search but I would be surprised if the total vote count was even 10k. She had the money heavily on her side and he was an old school fiscal conservative/social liberal kind of Republican. A well organized get-out-the-vote effort where few in the community knew or cared that a mostly inconsequential election was happening could easily be swung.
I also wouldn’t be surprised if Democrats tactically focused on that little election to get a symbolic victory just to get this kind of story. They know they are facing a lot of headwinds going into November and they need something to point to to keep morale up.
To: july4thfreedomfoundation
I live in Hancock county. The 1st district is the south western end of the state.
87
posted on
06/23/2022 7:46:01 AM PDT
by
brooklin
To: brooklin
“The 1st district is the south western end of the state.”
_________________________________________________________
Not all of it.
I was thinking of those coastal towns such as Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Kennebunk, Freeport, etc.
Looking at a map of the district, I’d say we are both right.
Part of that district is along the more populated southeast coast, but a chunk of the district heads well into the southwestern portion of the state as well.
88
posted on
06/23/2022 8:03:14 AM PDT
by
july4thfreedomfoundation
(My body, my choice....but not when it comes down to unconstitutional "vaccine" mandates.)
To: Nifster
When your fellow elected Republicans spit in the face of their base and tell the base to get over it like with gun control don’t expect your base to make the effort to get out and vote because even if the Republican wins you still get Democrat/Marxist policies implemented.
89
posted on
06/23/2022 8:35:13 AM PDT
by
sarge83
To: laplata
This sounds suspicious. I hope we’re not seeing a trend.The trend was started long before the 2020 election and fine tuned in Nov 2020. To think that the fraud will stop now is foolish. If the voting machine companies have nothing to hide they would allow full access to the machines by inspectors.
Some think that the swamp (I call it sewer that is filled with rats) is a DC phenomenon. I think that it is throughout this country.
90
posted on
06/23/2022 8:37:40 AM PDT
by
eeriegeno
(Checks and balances??? What checks and balances?)
To: eeriegeno
It certainly is throughout the country.
I firmly believe that the Rats/Deep Staate are going to pull off a huge Red Flag event in Oct which will make it impossible to hold the midterm elections. They know they are toast and will not allow anyone to take away their power and control.
91
posted on
06/23/2022 8:41:21 AM PDT
by
laplata
(They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possible.)
To: SeekAndFind
The title and initial part of this article don't really apply to the OP...however, the latter section focuses on how candidates are selected. Very "enlightening".
*****
Oh, there’s so much that could be said about this… so much. However, what Tucker Carlson outlines in this monologue is accurate insofar as it merely scratches the surface of the DeceptiCons in Washington DC.
WATCH: {Direct Rumble Link}
The UniParty issue does not start in Washington DC, it surfaces in Washington DC.
The UniParty agenda, the origin of the crap that we see surface in a toxically corrupt federal government, starts IN YOUR STATE.
The UniParty is an outcome of the private organizations that run the political parties known as the RNC and DNC. This is where almost all voters and political followers get lost. The Republican and Democrat parties are not affiliated with any construct of the United States government. They are private entities, private clubs, that can establish any set of rules and regulations for the people within the club/party. That’s where the origin of the feces begins.
The club can accept or deny membership for any person who wants to run for political office. The RNC and DNC clubs essentially select the politicians. There is nothing within this process that is even remotely democratic, representative or even visible in the framework of the U.S. constitution.
Private corporations known as the RNC and DNC run the professional political apparatus, and from that origination all of the corruption in the body politic -as outlined in the visible UniParty agenda- surfaces. Two clubs, both funded by Wall Street power brokers, globalists and ultra-rich mega-donors, select the members who will represent their interests in Washington DC. That’s the root of the issue.
The Republican National Committee (RNC), and the Democrat National Committee (DNC), are private clubs.
The RNC and DNC are corporations, private businesses; and just like all private businesses, they have the ability to make rules, bylaws, terms and conditions of membership and association that are completely arbitrary according to their charter.
The RNC and DNC are not entities of government. The RNC and DNC are not affiliates of government. The RNC and DNC have absolutely no connection to government, other than their arbitrary business model for helping politicians enter and remain within government.
In fact, the RNC and DNC are simply private corporations who engage in the business of politics. Whenever we start to forget the DNC and RNC are private corporations, we can slip into the mistaken belief that they operate on any form of baseline altruism.
These corporations exist for the fulfillment of their mission; and their mission is to use the business of politics as a method of financial reward to sustain the business model.
Some call these private entities, these corporations, “clubs,” because using that term helps to remind us that these groups do not operate without a private agenda.
The rules within the RNC club are determined by the people who control the club charter, primarily large donors who fund the corporate business. If they have a particular intent or direction, they wish the club to support or take, they control how the club engages in the process of achieving their outcome. That effort is taken regardless of the opinion from the subordinate members in the club.
Through the process of controlling the corporations, the private clubs, both the RNC and DNC control how political events take place. Nothing within this process is contingent upon the support of the voting electorate.
Each state and local precinct has their own chapter of the club, and often the corporate direction, specifically the club activity in/around Washington DC, is different from what the local groups want to see take place. However, just because the local chapter of the group disagrees with the parent company or board of directors, does not mean the larger corporate entity will change anything.
When we are evaluating political events inside the United States, it is critical to keep reminding ourselves that what is taking place, or what is not taking place, are outcomes determined within the executive suites of a private club. This is an unfortunate system dynamic, but it is a critical point that once fully understood explains many of the issues people have with the registered politicians within the club.
The RNC and DNC are businesses. Their decisions are business decisions. The club actions, or lack thereof, are all part of the business of politics.
The tenured participants in the club do not operate arbitrarily in a vacuum. They talk to each other, communicate with each other, organize with each other, plan with each other, and collaborate for the larger objectives of the private corporation.
Nothing within the business system of DC and club politics has anything to do with the constitutional framework of U.S. government.
Again, for emphasis. The governing process and constitutional aspects of the framework within the U.S. government, have absolutely nothing to do with the two private corporations known as the RNC and DNC.
A potato farmer has no influence on McDonalds, despite the fact the fast food corporation sells french fries.
Please keep this reference point in mind.
92
posted on
06/23/2022 8:54:23 AM PDT
by
Bratch
To: SeekAndFind
The experts have been saying the Northeast is Democrat.
I don’t know what they’re using for heating fuel up there in the Northeast but this winter it could be ugly... of course there in Maine those folks are probably using wood anyway.
93
posted on
06/23/2022 9:47:57 AM PDT
by
Clutch Martin
("The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right." )
To: kiryandil; Liz; Red Badger; SunkenCiv; LS; Kaslin; BenLurkin
Reading deep inside the story, you find that the republic DID GET elected. But to the higher posion (more important ?) State Senate position. Further. Several districts could vote for him at all - but nothing nefarious in that of course! Enough to win? Probably not. But notice that democrat Victories are so rare, their minions in the press are applauding one special election in Maine for a single seat!
94
posted on
06/23/2022 11:02:08 AM PDT
by
Robert A Cook PE
(Method, motive, and opportunity: No morals, shear madness and hatred by those who cheat.)
To: july4thfreedomfoundation
Do not simply assume that ANY democrat - even one with military service, or perhaps especiallyone with military service - will be loyal to anything but their social-democrat party itself.
95
posted on
06/23/2022 11:20:26 AM PDT
by
Robert A Cook PE
(Method, motive, and opportunity: No morals, shear madness and hatred by those who cheat.)
To: Robert A Cook PE
I couldn’t agree with you more!
That seemed to be the democraps strategy in 2018.....run guys for Congress who are former military.
That’s exactly what happened here in Maine’s Second district that year. Jared Golden, a former Marine Corps Afghan war veteran, was chosen to run and he won through the use of Rank Choice Voting even though he received 2,200 fewer votes than the GOP incumbent, Bruce Poliquin.
Sometimes, Nancy Pelosi gives Golden a wink and a nod.....when she knows she has more than enough votes....to vote “no” on a bill the RATS want passed. He voted “no” on the recent “gun bill” in the House.
96
posted on
06/23/2022 11:34:03 AM PDT
by
july4thfreedomfoundation
(My body, my choice....but not when it comes down to unconstitutional "vaccine" mandates.)
To: Clutch Martin
A lot of people in Maine have heat pumps.
But home heating oil is widely used and it’s expensive.
Thank-you, Brandon.....not.
97
posted on
06/23/2022 11:37:06 AM PDT
by
july4thfreedomfoundation
(My body, my choice....but not when it comes down to unconstitutional "vaccine" mandates.)
To: july4thfreedomfoundation
I’ve always considered east as east of Penobscot Bay. I don’t t care one way or the other. The coast is filled with transplants that brought Mass. with them.
98
posted on
06/23/2022 4:17:16 PM PDT
by
brooklin
To: brooklin
“The coast is filled with transplants that brought Mass. with them.”
____________________________________________________________
I, too, live in Hancock County.
As you know, plenty of people moved here since the outbreak of the Chinese virus.
Homes were selling like hotcakes with people moving here from out-of-state. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, etc. with transplants from Massachusetts at the top of the list.
And they’re probably bringing their voting patterns with them. Ugh.
99
posted on
06/23/2022 10:11:42 PM PDT
by
july4thfreedomfoundation
(My body, my choice....but not when it comes down to unconstitutional "vaccine" mandates.)
To: SeekAndFind; All
A woman in a hot air balloon realizes she is lost. She lowers her altitude and spots a man fishing from a boat below. She shouts to him, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”
The man consults his portable GPS and replies, “You’re in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.
She rolls her eyes and says, “You must be a Republican!”
“I am,” replies the man. “How did you know?”
“Well,” answers the balloonist, “everything you tell me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I’m still lost. Frankly, you’re not much help to me.”
The man smiles and responds, “You must be a Democrat.”
“I am, replies the balloonist. “How did you know?”
“Well,” says the man, “You don’t know where you are or where you’re going. You’ve risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and now you expect me to solve your problem. You’re in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it’s my fault.”
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