Angus King announces run for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat

[MaineDem]

Source: Bangor Daily News

PORTLAND, Maine — Popular former independent Gov. Angus King shook things up in the scramble for the state’s open seat in the U.S. Senate on Monday night by announcing a bid to succeed Republican Olympia Snowe, bringing to the race a strong alternative to Republicans and Democrats criticized by Snowe for causing partisan gridlock.

King made his announcement after delivering a lecture at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. Just hours before, fellow independent Eliot Cutler offered a ringing endorsement, describing King as someone who’d bring an independent voice to the Senate, much as Snowe did in a congressional career that spanned more than three decades.

“He would bring to the Senate the independence, the abilities, the reputation and the disposition that will make him a great senator, that will serve us Mainers well and make us proud every day and that will begin to rebuild and restore the Senate to what it was intended to be,” Cutler said.

Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/03/05/news/state/angus-king-announces-run-for-maines-u-s-senate-seat/

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This really messes up the race.

[elleng]

1. Discussed earlier.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002387290

[MaineDem]

2. It was still speculation at that point

And I rarely go into GD. Thanks.

[Alexander]

3. Bad news: He might win. Good news: He's pretty liberal, especially on social issues.

As far as US Senators with an (I) after their name, I'd much rather have Angus King than Joe Lieberman.

[MaineDem]

4. Totally agree. n/t

[elleng]

5. The bad news is not that he might win,

as substively he'd be fine, imo. The bad news is that his win could split 'Dem/Inde' vote, hence teabag repug prevails.
Have to assure, somehow, that that doesn't happen.

[Alexander]

7. He was a very popular governor, getting elected as an Indy to two terms.

In fact, in 1998 he won 59% of the vote, and no Maine governor since him has won a majority. It's practically unheard of for an Independent to win that high of a percentage in the first place.

I don't think the problem is that he might split the vote, I think the problem is that he might win and end up being a swing vote in the US Senate.

[elleng]

8. Thought he was very popular,

and I don't see a problem for him winning and being swing vote in Senate, given his prior record, if he votes with Dem caucus.

[Old and In the Way]

10. No, my concern is exactly that he'll split the vote.

We have a teabagger governor that got elected in 2010 on 38% of the vote. With Angus coming in, I see a replay of this race. I voted for Angus and I met him on a flight from Bangor a few years ago. he's a good guy who'd make a good Senator. But, without instant run-off protection, we will lose the opportunity to regain this seat. It's very bad news for us if he decides to run as an independent. If he wanted to run in the Democratic primary, I could well vote for him. He'll lose a lot of goodwill with progressives/liberals/Democrats in this state if he chooses to run as an independent.

[Alexander]

11. He won 59% of the vote in his last statewide election.

As an Independent.

No Governor since him has won a simple majority, let alone surpassed that margin.

I think if he's in, he wins. We're talking about a popular two-term former Governor, and no such person was on the ballot in 2010.

[Old and In the Way]

13. The political picture has completely changed in Maine and this country since Angus last ran.

I doubt sincerely that the same voter population or dynamics present in 1998 will be voting in 2012. A lot of young people don't know who he is...and many Democrats who crossed the line to vote for him for Governor won't do it in this election. He will get the lion's share of Independents and some Democrats and Republicans...but I think it will end up being a carbon copy of the Cutler/Mitchell split (Cutler beating Michell the Democrat) with Page, the Teabagging Republican becoming the beneficiary of the majority split.

[Alexander]

16. So you don't think it's possible for King to get 40% in a 3-way race and win?

14 years ago is not that long a time. Anyone born in 1977 or earlier could've voted for King in his last election, and I'm sure people younger than that at least knew who he was.

From what I've read, LePage's approval ratings have been in the usual Republican Governor buyer's remorse territory since 2010. I'd prefer Pingree to win the seat, but I could see King also winning, and I'd prefer either of the two scenarios over a Republican victory.

[Old and In the Way]

17. I don't know, honestly.

Sure it's possible, but I just don't know how it splits...this is a Presidential year with lots of Democrats coming out, for sure. In thinking about it, it's possible that Angus could pull more moderate Republicans and Indies. So it could become a safe seat between either Angus or the Democrat IF Angus pulls a significant Republican vote....and if the RW Republicans elect a nutty teapartier to run, there's a good chance of that happening. But if the Republicans run a strong candidate, we'd lose.

Still, would I risk a seat that could easily be D for a seat that might be "I" if the right mix breaks for King? Absolutely not.

[MaineDem]

6. He said he may not caucus with either party

Not good.

[elleng]

9. He might say that now, right, and change his mind when the time comes?

NOW, wouldn't want to alienate anyone[s.]

[Alexander]

12. He may not caucus with either party, but on the important votes, he'll go with the Democrats.

Just look at his record as Governor of Maine - hardly that of a Republican, especially today's Republicans.

He might say he'll be independent for organizational votes (and unless the chamber is 48D-50R-2I it doesn't matter anyway), but on the crucial issues it's hard to see a scenario where he would vote in line with the Republicans.

[Old and In the Way]

14. Actually, King being an Independent would be good for our State.

He'd have a lot more influence in the Senate than even Snowe had, IMHO.

But that's not my concern. A 3 way race with King and any Democrat and any Republican means a Republican win. I haven't checked yet, but I imagine the folks at "As Maine Goes" are jumping for joy to here this news and they are going to make sure they run the candidate they want - the most conservative, most regressive candidate they can find, because they'll end up with a True Believer in Congress. King splits the liberal/progressive/Democratic vote...not the Republican vote.

[Alexander]

15. You don't think King could actually win?

Remember, he did get 59% of the vote last time he ran for office.

[brooklynite]

18. ..in which cases he'll have no committee assignments.

[avebury]

19. I think that King could probably make a good US Senator but my concern is that if he

cannot pull off a win, he might end up splitting enough votes with the Democratic candidate that a Republican might slide into office. That would not be a good situation.

[jpak]

20. Bleecckk - flatlander and poser

yup