Drew Gattine, Chair of the Maine Democratic Party, issued the following statement today on Paul LePage announcing his run for a third term as Governor of Maine.
“I served in the Legislature while Paul LePage was Governor, and I watched him veto efforts to expand health care, weaken our public health infrastructure, and take money away from towns and municipalities, driving up property taxes and making it harder for Maine people to get by.
“I saw him treat decent, hard-working people with disrespect, calling them names and saying things like teachers are ‘a dime a dozen’. He threatened people, he talked down about our state, and he brought embarrassment upon himself and Maine over and over again.
“When Governor Mills was elected, it was a breath of fresh air. And her compassionate, competent leadership during this pandemic – which has achieved some of the lowest COVID case and death rates and one of the highest vaccination rates in the country – has made me grateful every day that Paul LePage was not our governor during this incredibly difficult time.
“Just this past Friday, Governor Mills signed into law a budget that achieves 55 percent of education funding for the first time in history, that restores revenue sharing to its full 5 percent, and that provides $300 to working Maine people. That is real leadership.
“With Governor Mills, we have a leader with integrity at the helm, and, under her leadership, we are turning the corner on this pandemic and rebuilding a stronger, healthier, more prosperous Maine.
“A third term of Paul LePage would only take us backward.”
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