Republicans Have Already Lost One GOP Senate Seat In Maine
While there is much to talk about, ponder, and predict as we roll towards Election Day, there is one race that we can all but call when it comes to the U.S. Senate.
In Maine there was a need for Republicans to keep the seat of retiring Senator Olympia Snowe. There was never a time in this election year that was ever possible.
Former Maine Gov. Angus King, running as an independent, had name recognition and overall support from the day he announced his candidacy. Charlie Summers, the Republican is a weak candidate, and had to be hoping that this would be the year for Republicans to again make dramatic gains in congress, and as such he could just ride along.
But as we near the end of the race there is nothing to suggest that Summers knows how to run a major campaign for a serious office, and has proven he has no ability to gain traction. There is no reason Summers’ should think himself qualified to seek the U.S. Senate.
He failed his bid for the Republican nomination in Maine’s 1st Congressional District in 1994 and failed general election bids in the 1st CD in 2004 and 2008. Then he worked for nine years in Sen. Snowe’s office. In the end Summers was able to garner enough votes to become Maine Secretary of State.
The fact President Obama is trending very favorably in all Maine polls has only made it harder for Summers. That King has the ability to attain 50% in polls, as in this latest one, must make it hard for the GOP in Maine to even get out of bed.
To make any attempt at all for some sign of life the Summers’ campaign has run the usual negative ads that all races are seeing this year. While those ads may take a few points off the lead that King holds, at the end of the day this cake is in the oven and will be served up on Election Night.
A poll released Wednesday shows Independent former Gov. Angus King with a huge lead in Maine’s Senate contest, contrasting with other recent polls that have shown a tightening race.
The poll from Pan Atlantic SMS also shows King hitting the 50 percent mark in the three-way contest. He garners 50 percent of the vote to Republican Charlie Summers’ 24 percent and Democrat Cynthia Dill’s measly 12 percent. Fourteen percent of respondents were undecided in the race.
King holds the support of 59 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Independents in the survey. Just 21 percent of Democrats express support for Dill. Summers doesn’t even reach 50 percent support among Republicans in the poll: 48 percent support him, while 34 percent support King.
