Jul 5, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Former Maine Governor Paul LePage launches bid for third term

Erin Doherty

Former Gov. Paul LePage speaks at Eggs & Issues breakfast at the Holiday Inn by the Bay on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. — Paul LePage speaks on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. Photo: Gregory Rec/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Former two-term Governor of Maine Paul LePage (R), who once declared he was "Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular," announced that he is launching a campaign for a third term, AP reports.

Why it matters: The race may provide insight into Maine's appetite for a Trump ally in office. Trump won one electoral vote in Maine during the 2020 election, "underscoring his popularity" in rural parts of the state, per AP.

The big picture: As governor, LePage cut taxes and paid back millions in Medicaid debt and was also known for his feuds with other lawmakers and the media.

Maine's Constitution limits governors to two consecutive terms, but LePage, 72, is allowed to run again after sitting out a term.
He's been outspoken and critical of his successor, Gov. Janet Mills (D).
LePage will kick off his campaign in the fall.
LePage made headlines after telling the Portland chapter of the NAACP to "to kiss my butt" over his decision to skip its Martin Luther King Jr. Day event and suggesting drug dealers were impregnating young girls in Maine.

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Former Maine Governor Paul LePage launches bid for third term

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