In response to Paul LePage submitting signatures to get on the ballot as a candidate for Governor, Maine Democratic Party Chair Drew Gattine released the following statement:
“Over the last three years, the state of Maine has made tremendous progress. We’ve expanded health care to nearly 90,000 of our people. We’ve made critical investments in our future, from fully funding the state’s share of K-12 education for the first time, to investing in our infrastructure, to expanding internet access across the state. And in response to the global pandemic, we’ve led one of the most successful vaccination campaigns in the country, and are well on our way to an economy that is once again firing on all cylinders.
“With Paul LePage’s name back on the ballot this November, all this hard-won progress is at risk. When LePage was governor, he stood in the way of even the most basic solutions to problems Mainers were facing, and picked meaningless fights with Democrats and Republicans alike. Between blocking health care access for tens of thousands, gutting our state’s education and public health systems, and refusing to adequately address the opioid epidemic or rising property taxes, LePage’s tenure was a disaster for Maine people. Since he announced his campaign this summer, LePage has spread lies about Governor Mills’ record, courted conspiracy theorists, and made it crystal clear that he hasn’t changed one bit.
“Governor Mills has returned leadership and integrity to the Blaine House, and the result has been enormous progress. Of course, there is still more work to do to rebuild the Maine that LePage decimated, including expanding access to housing, broadband, and educational opportunities – and Governor Mills is working hard to accomplish all of this. Just today, while LePage held his political rally, Gov. Mills was in Farmington speaking about her plan to right yet another LePage wrong by expanding child care. We can’t let Paul LePage drag us backward once again.”
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