Maine Republican Party

Maine Republican Party
Maine Republican Party
Chairman	Dr. Demi Kouzounas
Governor	Paul LePage
Senate leadership	Michael Thibodeau; (President of the Senate)
House leadership	Kenneth Fredette; (Minority Leader)
Founded	August 7, 1854
Headquarters	9 Higgins Street; Augusta, Maine 04330
Ideology	Conservatism; Fiscal conservatism; Social conservatism
National affiliation	Republican Party
Colors	Red (unofficial)
Seats in the US Senate	1 / 2
Seats in the US House	1 / 2
Seats in the Maine Senate	18 / 35
Seats in the Maine House	72 / 151
Nonvoting Seats in the Maine House	0 / 2
Executive Offices (Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer)	1 / 4
Website
	http://www.mainegop.com/
	Politics of Maine; Elections; Politics of United States; Political parties; Elections;

The Maine Republican Party is an affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP) in Maine. It was founded in Strong, Maine on August 7, 1854.

The Maine GOP is noted for its historically strong state College Republican federation.^{[citation needed]} Other affiliate groups include the Maine Federation of Republican Women and the Maine Federation of Young Republicans.

Party history[edit]

The Republican Party formed in Maine in 1854 due to Prohibition and the abolitionist movement. Hannibal Hamlin left the Democratic Party because of the slavery issue and helped form the Republican Party. He was the state's first Republican governor. In 1860, he became the first Republican Vice President after Abraham Lincoln won the presidency.

From the 1860s until 1900, James G. Blaine rose as a dominant Republican figure. He was the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, a U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State for three Republican administrations. He ran for President in 1884 but lost to Grover Cleveland. In the late 1800s, Thomas B. Reed served in the House of Representatives for three terms. He started many reforms and was sometimes referred to as "Czar Reed". "Reed's Rules of Order" are still used in Maine Legislatures.

Except for rare lapses, the Republicans dominated Maine politics until 1954, when young progressives from the Democratic Party gained strength.^[1]

Margaret Chase Smith was the first American woman elected to serve in both houses of Congress (elected to the House of Representatives in 1940 and the Senate in 1948). In 1964, she was placed in the nomination for presidency at the Republican National Convention.^[1]

On August 19, 2013, the resignation of seven members of the State Committee, viewed as libertarian and conservative, was announced along with their unenrollment from the Party. Those who resigned cited numerous grievances with the Party at both the state and national levels, including Party rule changes, support from Congressional Republicans of National Security Agency surveillance programs, and the failure of Legislative Republicans to block tax increases in the recently passed State budget.^[2]

Current officeholders[edit]

The Maine Republican Party controls the governor's office. It holds a majority in the Maine Senate, and a minority in the Maine House of Representatives. It also holds one of the state's U.S. Senate seats and one of the state's U.S. House seats.

Members of Congress[edit]

Statewide offices[edit]

Governor Paul LePage.

Governor: Paul LePage

State Legislature[edit]

President of the Maine Senate: Michael Thibodeau
- Senate Majority Leader: Garrett Mason
- Assistant Senate Minority Leader: Andre Cushing III
House Minority Leader: Kenneth Fredette
- Assistant House Minority Leader: Ellie Espling

State committee[edit]

Leadership:^[3]

Chairman- Hon. Rick Bennett, Norway ^[4]
Vice Chairman- Hon. Susan Morissette, Winslow ^[4]
Charles Mahaleris, Secretary, Augusta
Benjamin Lombard, Treasurer, Augusta
Hon. Alex Willette, National Committeeman, Mapleton
Ashley Ryan, National Committeewoman, South Portland
Stavros Mendros, Androscoggin County Chair, Lewiston
Michael Marcottee, Androscoggin County Committeeman, Lewiston
Hon. Lois Snowe-Mello, Androscoggin County Committeewoman, Poland
Jason Greene, Androscoggin County At-Large, Durham
Geri Martin, Aroostook County Chair, Fort Fairfield
Brian Violette, Aroostook County Committeeman, Caribou
Melissa Willette, Aroostook County Committeewoman, Mapleton
Eric Lusk, Cumberland County Chair, Harpswell
George Colby, Cumberland County Committeeman, New Gloucester
Barbara Harvey, Cumberland County Committeewoman, Portland
Tim Bryan, Cumberland County At-Large, Falmouth
Sheila Corey, Cumberland County At-Large, Windham
Darla Hamlin, Cumberland County At-Large, North Yarmouth
Annalee Rosenblatt, Cumberland County At-Large, Scarborough
Ryan Morgan, Franklin County Chair, West Farmington
Andy Buckland, Franklin County Committeeman, Farmington
Regina Longyear, Franklin County Committeewoman, Farmington
Sandra Blanchette, Hancock County Chair, Orland
Dan Sullivan, Hancock County Committeeman, Surry
Joyce Fernald, Hancock County Committeewoman, Franklin
Larry Marshall, Hancock County At-Large, Surry
Curtis Ayotte, Kennebec County Chair, Farmingdale
Andrew Mahaleris, Kennebec County Committeeman, Augusta
Emily Roderick, Kennebec County Committeewoman, Winthrop
Tyler Leclair, Kennebec County At-Large, Benton
Bob Carter, Knox County Chair, Warren
Fred Bucklin, Knox County Committeeman, Appleton
Martha Johnston-Nash, Knox County Committeewoman, Union
Stuart Smith, Lincoln County Chair, Edgecomb
Hon. John McKane, Lincoln County Committeeman, Newcastle
Jeanette Wheeler, Lincoln County Committeewoman, Waldoboro
Tim Turner, Oxford County Chair, Buckfield
Peter Laverdiere, Oxford County Committeeman, Oxford
Wendy Turner, Oxford County Committeewoman, Buckfield
Hon. Jarrod Crocket, Oxford County At-Large, Bethel
Debra Plowman, Penobscot County Chair, Hampden
Lee Jackson, Penobscot County Committeeman, Old Town
Irv Master, Penobscot County At-Large, Glenburn
Vic Beradelli, Penobscot County At-Large, Newburgh
Hon. Nichi Farnham, Penobscot County At-Large, Bangor
Charles Shaffer, Piscataquis County Chair, Sebec
James White, Piscataquis County Committeeman, Guilford
Trish White, Piscataquis County Committeewoman, Guilford
Donald McKenna, Sagadahoc County Chair, Bowdoinham
Tyler Washburn, Sagadahoc County Committeeman, Bowdoin
Cindy Nesbitt, Sagadahoc County Committeewoman, Bowdoin
Cynthia Izon, Somerset County Chair, Norridgewock
Scot Seekins, Somerset County Committeeman, St. Albans
Patty Maynard, Somerset County Committeewoman, Skowhegan
Tim Amadon, Somerset County At-Large, Skowhegan
Robert Hanish, Waldo County Chair, Stockton Springs
Peter Rioux, Waldo County Committeeman, Winterport
Patty Keyes, Waldo County Committeewoman, Swanville
Hon. Chris Gardner, Washington County Chair, Edmunds
Shane Curtis, Washington County Committeeman, Pembroke
Marianne Moore, Washington County Committeewoman, Calais
Burnell Bailey, York County Chair, South Berwick
John Carson, York County Committeeman, Kittery Point
Genie Jennings, York County Committeewoman, South Berwick
Demi Kozounas, York County At-Large, Saco
Michael Coleman, York County At-Large, Old Orchard
Bud Hurst, York County At-Large, Old Orchard Beach
Lauren LePage, Governor LePage's Representative, Waterville
Bobby Reynolds, Senator Collins' Representative, Gorham
Garrett Mason, Maine Senate Republicans Representative, Lisbon Falls
Deborah Sanderson, Maine House Republicans Representative, Chelsea
Ellen Greeke, Maine Federation of Republican Women President, Tenants Harbor
Jim Fossel, Maine Young Republicans Chairman, Gardiner
Tyler Leclair, Maine College Republicans Chairman& Kennebec County At-Large, Benton

Controversies[edit]

2010[edit]

The Maine Republican Party caused a stir during its 2010 convention when the historically moderate party passed a constitutionally conservative platform supported by "Tea Party" activists. The new platform calls for the elimination of the United States Department of Education and the Federal Reserve System, the rejection of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (because it would give foreign entities control over U.S. citizens), a freeze and prohibition on stimulus spending, and the prosecution of perpetrators of the "global warming myth". It also demands a "return to the principles of Austrian Economics", and the assertion that healthcare is "not a right" but "a service" that can be addressed only by using "market based solutions". Indeed, the platform says, "The principles upon which the Republican Party was founded, to which we as Citizens seek return, and to which we demand our elected representatives abide, are summarized as follows:^[5]^[6]

The Constitutions, both State and Federal, are the framework to which any and all legislation must adhere.
State sovereignty must be regained and retained on all issues specifically relegated to the States by the constitution.
National sovereignty shall be preserved and retained as dominant over any attempted unconstitutional usurpations of such by international treaty.
It is the responsibility and duty, of "We the People", to educate both ourselves and others; to demand honest elections free of corruption, and to hold our elected officials to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and loyalty to the constitution."

2012[edit]

During the 2012 Maine caucuses, the Maine Republican Party received heavy criticism for mistakes and omissions in voter tallies.^[7] The Waldo County GOP Committee called for a censure of Chairman Charlie Webster for his handling of the controversy.^[8]