President Trump is pushing Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) to run for the U.S. Senate, the Washington Post reports.
“Trump has told advisers he plans to call Mr. LePage, the bombastic governor who endorsed him in February 2016, and ask him to jump in against Sen. Angus King (I-ME) in 2018 — and that he would endorse him. King is an independent who often caucuses with Democrats.”
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) will not enter the 2018 race for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Sen. Angus King (I-ME), the Portland Press Herald reports.
“LePage started talking publicly as early as 2015 about mounting a challenge to King, an independent who was Maine’s governor from 1995 to 2003. But in a statement issued late Wednesday, his political adviser, Washington, D.C.- based Brent Littlefield, said the Republican governor, who will turn 69 in October, feels he could better serve his constituents by remaining focused on the duties of governor.”
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said that says he’s strongly considering running for the U.S. Senate, but also feels he “wouldn’t make a very good legislator,” the Boston Globe reports.
He added that he thinks committee meetings “would be boring.”
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) says he is giving “very serious thought” to a U.S. Senate run against Sen. Angus King (I-ME), the current independent senator and former governor LePage has accused of using investments in wind energy to increase his personal wealth, the Portland Press Herald reports.
Former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) plans to spend some of the nearly $150,000 left in her campaign fund to help former Senate colleagues run for re-election, the Shreveport Times reports.
Landrieu said she also will contribute some leftover campaign money to Republicans: “I’m not opposed to helping one or two of my Republican friends that have helped Louisiana — if they ask. They haven’t asked yet.”
She specifically named Rob Portman of Ohio, who is up for re-election next year, and Susan Collins of Maine, who is up in 2020.
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) told a radio show that he may challenge Sen. Angus King (I) for the U.S. Senate in 2018, the Bangor Daily News reports.
Said LePage: “I’m thinking about it very strongly.”
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) announced he would “undergo surgery later this week to remove prostate cancer,” the Bangor Daily News reports.
Said King: “I’m looking forward to a full recovery and to continuing my service in the Senate. And no, this does not affect my intention to run for re-election, except my poor little prostate won’t be along for the ride.”
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said that he is considering running against Sen. Angus King (I-ME) in 2018, the Portland Press Herald reports.
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) announced that he “will continue to caucus with the Democrats in Washington despite Republicans’ wresting back control of the U.S. Senate in Tuesday’s elections,” the Portland Press Herald reports.
“King, an independent serving his first term, acknowledged that caucusing with the minority party has some drawbacks but said he believes Maine is better served by him continuing to caucus with the Democrats, especially with Maine Sen. Susan Collins caucusing with the Republicans.”
Two Senate sources tell The Hill that they expect Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to reach out to Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) about joining the Senate Republican conference.
“Republicans have a 52-seat Senate majority and that could swell to 54 seats depending on the final vote tally in Alaska and a runoff in Louisiana next month. Both are solidly red states.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
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