Richard Glen Woodbury (born October 10,1961) is an American politician and economist from Maine. Woodbury served as an unenrolled State Senator from Maine's 11th District,representing part of Cumberland County,including the population centers of Falmouth and Cumberland as well as his residence in Yarmouth. [1] He was first elected to the Maine State Senate in 2010 after defeating incumbent Republican Gerald Davis and Green Independent Chris Miller. The Democrat in the race,Cynthia Bullens,dropped out of the race and endorsed Woodbury,though her name remained on the ballot. [2] He served three terms from 2002 to 2008 in the Maine House of Representatives. [3] He has also been a visiting scholar with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and written extensively on tax reform in Maine. [4]
After winning a closely contested race for re-election in November 2012,Woodbury was the "policy architect" of a dramatic tax overhaul put forth by a bipartisan "Group of 11" legislators. Woodbury's tax plan called for the reduction in the state's income tax and increased consumption taxes as well as eliminating Maine's estate tax. The Portland Press Herald said the plan sought "to slash the state's income tax rate in half and make a host of other sweeping changes,including raising sales and excise taxes and eliminating exemptions". [5]
Woodbury also introduced a resolution calling on Maine's congressional delegation to support a constitutional amendment to overturn the decision in Citizens United v. FEC and the notion of corporate personhood. [6]
Woodbury announced on January 21,2014,that he would not seek re-election. [7]
Days before the 2014 general election,Woodbury and others began a statewide citizen's initiative to replace Maine's plurality voting system with a ranked choice voting system as is used in Australia and for electing the mayor of Portland,Maine,among other places. [8]
Woodbury's father,Robert Woodbury,was chancellor of the University of Maine System and ran for governor in 1994. Woodbury earned his B.A. from Williams College in 1983,his M.A. from Harvard University in 1988 and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard in 1991. [3] Woodbury has been an economist with National Bureau of Economic Research since 1998. [3]
Cumberland County is a county in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census,the population was 303,069,making it the most populous county in Maine. Its county seat is Portland. Cumberland County was founded in 1760 from a portion of York County,Province of Massachusetts Bay,and named for William,Duke of Cumberland,a son of King George II. Cumberland County has the deepest and second-largest body of water in the state,Sebago Lake,which supplies tap water to most of the county. The county is the state's economic and industrial center,having the resources of the Port of Portland,the Maine Mall,and having corporate headquarters of major companies such as Fairchild Semiconductor,IDEXX Laboratories,Unum,and TD Bank. Cumberland County is part of the Portland–South Portland,ME Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Michael Herman Michaud is an American businessman and politician from Maine. Michaud served as the U.S. representative for Maine's 2nd congressional district from 2003 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The primarily rural district comprises nearly 80% of the state by area and includes the cities of Lewiston,Auburn,Bangor,Presque Isle,and Ellsworth. It is the largest Congressional district by area east of the Mississippi River.
Angus Stanley King Jr. is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Maine since 2013. A political independent,he served as the 72nd governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003.
Justin Loring Alfond is an American politician and real estate developer. He served as a Democratic State Senator from the 8th District,which represents much of Portland. Alfond was first elected to the State Senate in 2008 to replace Democrat Ethan Strimling;he beat former State Senator Anne Rand and Cliff Ginn. He was re-elected in 2010 and 2012. In 2012,he faced Green Independent Party Chair Asher Platts. Alfond won with 71% of the vote in a two-way race.
The 2012 United States Senate election in Maine was held on November 6,2012,alongside a presidential election,other elections to the United States Senate in other states,as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Despite initially declaring her candidacy and being considered the favorite,popular incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe unexpectedly decided to retire instead of running for reelection to a fourth term.
The 2014 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 4,2014 to elect the governor of Maine. Incumbent Republican governor Paul LePage won re-election to a second term,defeating Democratic nominee Mike Michaud,the U.S. representative from Maine's 2nd congressional district,and independent Eliot Cutler,an attorney and second-place finisher from the 2010 gubernatorial election. This is currently the most recent election that Maine elected a Republican governor. Primary elections were held on June 10,2014.
The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine were held on Tuesday,November 4,2014 to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Maine,one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices,including Governor of Maine and United States Senate. The primary elections were held on June 10,2014.
Gerald M. Davis is an American politician from Maine.
Eloise A. Vitelli is the majority leader of the Maine Senate. She is a Democrat representing Senate District 24,which serves all of Sagadahoc County and the adjacent town of Dresden,Maine in Lincoln County. Vitelli was first elected to the Maine Senate in a 2013 special election,but lost her re-election bid in 2014. She was re-elected in 2016,2018,2020,and 2022. Vitelli began working as an entrepreneurship trainer in the early 1980s and was the director of program and policy for New Ventures Maine for 38 years. She became the Assistant Senate Majority Leader in December 2020,and Majority Leader in February 2021.
Eric Brakey is the current Executive Director of the Free State Project,and an American politician,serving in his third term as a Maine state senator.
Amy Fern Volk is an American politician from Maine. A Republican from Scarborough,Maine,Volk was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2010 when she defeated incumbent Democrat Sean Flaherty.
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine were held on November 8,2016,to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Maine,one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on June 14.
Sara I. Gideon is an American politician who served as the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party from Freeport,she represented the 48th district in the Maine House of Representatives,which includes part of Freeport and Pownal in Cumberland County.
Catherine Breen is an American Democratic politician from Maine. Breen,a Falmouth resident,is currently serving her fourth term representing Senate District 25,which includes the towns of Falmouth,Cumberland,Yarmouth,Gray,Long Island,Chebeague Island and part of Westbrook.
Matthea Elisabeth Larsen Daughtry is the Assistant Majority Leader of the Maine Senate. She is a Democrat representing Senate District 23,which serves Brunswick,Chebeague Island,Freeport,Harpswell,Pownal,and part of North Yarmouth. Daughtry served as a representative to the Maine House from District 49 from 2012-2020.
The 2018 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 6,2018,to elect the governor of Maine. It occurred along with elections for the U.S. Senate,U.S. House,and other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor Paul LePage was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third consecutive term;he later unsuccessfully sought a third term in 2022. This was one of eight Republican-held governorships up for election in a state carried by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Maine was held on November 6,2018,alongside a gubernatorial election,U.S. House elections,and other state and local elections. Incumbent independent Senator Angus King won re-election to a second term,defeating Democratic nominee Zak Ringelstein and Republican nominee Eric Brakey. This was one of two independent-held Senate seats up for election in a state that Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election.
Maine Question 5,formally An Act to Establish Ranked-Choice Voting,is a citizen-initiated referendum question that qualified for the Maine November 8,2016 statewide ballot. It was approved by a vote of 52% in favor,48% opposed. It sought to change how most Maine elections will be conducted from plurality voting to instant-runoff voting. It appeared on the ballot along with elections for President of the United States,Maine's two U.S. House seats,the legislature,five other ballot questions,and various local elections. The referendum was successful,making Maine the first state to use ranked choice voting for its federal elections.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine were held on November 3,2020,to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Maine,one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The election was conducted with ranked choice voting,as per the result of a referendum passed in 2016.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine were held on November 8,2022,to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Maine,one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The elections were conducted with ranked choice voting,as per the result of a referendum passed in 2016. These were the first House of Representatives elections held in Maine following the 2020 redistricting cycle.
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