Maine gubernatorial election, 2006

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Maine gubernatorial election, 2006
Flag of Maine.svg
  2002 November 7, 2006 2010  
  John Baldacci - 107th United States Congress.jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee John Baldacci Chandler Woodcock
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote209,927166,425
Percentage38.11%30.21%

 
Nominee Barbara Merrill Pat LaMarche
Party Independent Green
Popular vote118,71552,690
Percentage21.55%9.56%

Maine Governor Election Results by County, 2006.svg
County Results

Baldacci:     30–40%     40–50%

Woodcock:     30–40%     40–50%

Governor before election

John Baldacci
Democratic

Elected Governor

John Baldacci
Democratic

The Maine gubernatorial election of 2006 took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democrat John Baldacci was re-elected to his second term. This was the last time a Democrat won statewide office in Maine until 2018, when Janet Mills won the gubernatorial election over Republican Shawn Moody.

The incumbent is the current holder of an office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent(s). For example, in the Hungarian presidential election, 2017, János Áder was the incumbent, because he had been the president in the term before the term for which the election sought to determine the president. A race without an incumbent is referred to as an open seat.

The Maine Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Maine. For much of the time after the Civil War, the Democrats were a minor player in a political scene dominated by the Republican Party. However, during the 1950s, Edmund Muskie led an expansive political insurgency culminating in his election as Governor of Maine and successive Democratic elections to both state and national offices. From 2012 to 2019, despite having a Republican Governor in Paul LePage, the party remained strong, holding key offices in the state government and U.S. Congress and maintaining a majority in the Maine House of Representatives for 6 of LePage's 8 years.

John Baldacci American politician

John Elias Baldacci is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of Maine from 2003 to 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.

Contents

In the general election, Baldacci, Woodcock, Green Independent Party candidate Pat LaMarche, and independents Barbara Merrill and Phillip Morris Napier appeared on the ballot.

Patricia Helen LaMarche is an American political figure and activist with the Green Party of the United States; she was the party's vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, with David Cobb as its presidential candidate, and was one of seven co-chairs of the party's national committee, the Green Party of the United States, elected to that position on July 24, 2005.

Barbara E. Merrill is an American political candidate from Maine. Elected as a Democrat to the state legislature, she left the party in 2006 to become an independent candidate for Governor of Maine.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Governor of Maine head of state and of government of the U.S. state of Maine

The Governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the Governor of Massachusetts was chief executive.

Results

Democratic primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic John Baldacci (Incumbent)40,31475.81
Democratic Christopher Miller12,86124.19
Total votes53,175100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Peter Mills (American politician) American politician from Maine

Peter Mills is an American politician from Maine. A Republican, Mills served in the Maine Senate, representing the 26th district. He ran for Governor of Maine in 2006 and 2010 and lost both times in the Republican primary. He is the older brother of the current Governor of Maine Janet Mills.

Results

Republican primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Chandler Woodcock27,02538.58
Republican Peter Mills24,63135.17
Republican Dave Emery18,38826.25
Total votes70,044100.00

Green Independent Party

Independents

Maine House of Representatives lower house of the Maine state legislature

The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal number of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,800 citizens of the state. Because it is a part-time position, members of the Maine House of Representatives usually have outside employment as well. Members are limited to four consecutive terms of two years each, but may run again after two years.

General election

Polling

SourceDateBaldacci (D)Woodcock (R)LaMarche (G)Merrill (I)NaPier (I)
WSCH/Voice of the Voter November 5, 200636%30%11%22%1%
Sun Journal October, 200642%25%11%11%--
Survey USA October 23, 200642%34%9%12%
Rasmussen October 19, 200646%38%
Rasmussen September 22, 200644%39%
WCSH/Voice of the Voter September 14, 200642%41%
Rasmussen August 22, 200643%42%
Rasmussen August 2, 200643%37%
Strategic Marketing Services August 1, 200642%24%
Survey USA July 11, 200641%43%
Rasmussen June 22, 200645%43%
Rasmussen May 7, 200646%33%
Rasmussen April 7, 200643%36%
Rasmussen March 6, 200640%35%
Rasmussen February 6, 200630%36%

Results

Maine gubernatorial election, 2006 [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Democratic John Baldacci (Incumbent) 209,927 38.11% -9.04%
Republican Chandler Woodcock 166,42530.21%-11.26%
Independent Barbara Merrill 118,71521.55%
Green Pat LaMarche 52,6909.56%+0.28%
Independent Phillip Morris Napier3,1080.56%
Plurality43,5027.90%+2.22%
Turnout 550,865
Democratic hold Swing

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References

Official campaign websites (Archived)

See also