e governor: Janet Mills, Democrat, to continue in office, beating Paul LePage, GOP challenger
Fox News now predicts that Janet Mills, a Democrat, will continue to be the Governor of Maine. She defeats Paul LePage, a former Governor and GOP candidate.
Mills, Maine’s first female governor was previously the state’s attorney-general before she was elected in 2018.
LePage was the former mayor for Waterville, Maine. He served two terms as governor starting in 2011. Then, he was defeated by Democrat incumbent Mills during the 2018 election.
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This fall, the pair faced off in four debates, sparring over key midterm issues such as inflation, education and COVID-19.
“I’ve been there. I have done it once and I can do it again. “I am the guy with a business background,” LePage stated, highlighting his economic records as governor during final debate.
Mills stressed the inflation relief she sent to Maine taxpayers while LePage made lowering state taxes central to his campaign. LePage took shots at Mills’ overspending and called her relief checks “a gimmick” in the second gubernatorial election.
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The race was also focused on abortion. Mills tweeted in June, “So long as my governorship is alive, my veto pen won’t stop any effort to undermine, rollback or outright eliminate the right of safe and legal abortion.”
LePage, on the other hand, expressed support for prolife policies. However, he has stated that he would veto any bill banning abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy and favors bans against late-term abortions, except in cases of rape or incest or when the mother is in imminent danger.
Mills’ campaign raised $4.8 million more than LePage’s Sept. 27 total, compared to LePage’s $2.2 million.
Fox News’ Alexandra Orbuch contributed this report.