2012 United States Senate election in Maine

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.

2012 United States Senate election in Maine
November 6, 2012
 
Nominee Angus King Charlie Summers Cynthia Dill
Party Independent Republican Democratic
Popular vote 370,580 215,399 92,900
Percentage 52.9% 30.8% 13.3%
County Results
King:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
U.S. senator before election

Olympia Snowe
Republican

 Elected U.S. Senator

Angus King
Independent

Former Independent Governor Angus King won the open seat with 52.9% of the vote against Republican Charlie Summers and Democrat Cynthia Dill. Following Independent Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman's retirement from the Senate in 2013, King became the second Independent incumbent U.S. Senator, after Vermont's Bernie Sanders. This was the first U.S. Senate race in Maine since 1988 that was not won by a Republican.

Background
Elections in Maine
Federal offices
U.S. President
U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
State government
Gubernatorial elections
State Senate elections
State House elections
Ballot measures
People's vetoes
2009
Question 1
2011
Question 1
2018
Question 1 (Jun)
2020
Question 1
Citizen initiated referendums
2012
Question 1
2014
Question 1
2015
Question 1
2016
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
2017
Question 1
Question 2
2018
Question 1 (Nov)
City of Portland
Mayoral elections

Incumbent Olympia Snowe won re-election to a third term in 2006 with 74.01% of the vote over Democrat Jean Hay Bright and independent Bill Slavick. Due to the unpopularity of some of Snowe's votes among conservative voters, namely for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and initial support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, there was speculation that she would face competition in the 2012 Republican primary from more conservative challengers.[1] The Tea Party Express had promised to aid in a primary against Snowe.[2] There had also been speculation that Snowe would switch parties, though she has always denied this.[3][4][5] By June 2011, Snowe had officially entered her name with signatures to run in the Republican primary, saying, she "would never switch parties".

However, on February 28, 2012, Snowe announced that she would be retiring from the U.S. Senate at the end of her term, citing the "atmosphere of polarization and 'my way or the highway' ideologies has become pervasive in campaigns and in our governing institutions" as the reason for her retirement.[6] Her announcement opened the door for candidates from all parties, creating a much more contested 2012 election.[7]

The primary election was held on June 12.[8]

Republican primary

On ballot

Withdrew
  • Andrew Ian Dodge, conservative activist (ran as an independent)[12]
  • Olympia Snowe, incumbent U.S. senator (retiring)[7]

Declined

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Rick
Bennett		 Scott
D'Amboise		 Debra
Plowman		 Bruce
Poliquin		 William
Schneider		 Charlie
Summers		 Other Undecided
MPRC March 31 – April 2, 2012 318 ±5.49% 7.1% 3.9% 5.7% 12% 3.9% 27.6% — 39.7%

Results
Republican primary results[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Charlie Summers 20,578 29.46
Republican Bruce Poliquin 15,973 22.86
Republican Rick Bennett 12,544 17.96
Republican Scott D'Amboise 7,735 11.07
Republican William Schneider 6,784 9.71
Republican Deborah Plowman 6,244 8.94
Total votes 69,098 100

Democratic primary

On the ballot

Declined

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Cynthia
Dill		 Matthew
Dunlap		 Jon
Hinck		 Benjamin
Pollard		 Other Undecided
Maine People's Resource Center March 31 – April 2, 2012 415 ±4.8% 20.3% 16.7% 6.2% 1.9% — 54.8%

Results
Democratic primary results[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Cynthia Dill 22,629 44.31
Democratic Matt Dunlap 18,202 35.64
Democratic Jon Hinck 6,302 12.34
Democratic Benjamin Pollard 3,945 7.72
Total votes 51,078 100

General election

Candidates

Debates

Campaign

The group Maine People's Alliance called on Charles Summers to resign his position as Secretary of State of Maine, stating that it was a conflict of interest for the secretary of state to oversee their own election to another office. They also had concerns over past actions in sending letters to college students about voter registration requirements. A spokesperson for Summers said that he had turned over all election oversight to a deputy Secretary of State, and Summers himself stated that he was not going to resign.[32] No Secretary of State or Maine Attorney General who was seeking higher office in the last 30 years has resigned.[33]

Steve Woods announced on August 1 that, if elected, he would donate his entire Senate salary to Maine charities chosen by an independent committee of business and nonprofit leaders he would appoint. He encouraged Angus King to make a similar pledge; King responded through his spokesperson that he and his wife would continue to donate money to charities, and that all candidates should do so in "the best way they feel they can."[34]

Anti-spoiler proposal

Steve Woods met with Angus King on June 13 to discuss a proposal by Woods for either man to leave the race if it appeared one or the other was not going to win, in order to avoid being a spoiler candidate. Woods specifically cited the 2010 Maine Gubernatorial election as well as the 2000 presidential election as examples of what could result from a fragmented electorate. King stated that while he had not fully considered Woods' proposal, he didn't think he was a spoiler, in that "If I thought that, I wouldn't be running." Woods said that regardless of whether or not King accepted the proposal, he likely would abide by it and endorse King in late October if it appeared he would not win.[35] Woods did indeed drop out and endorsed King on November 4, stating that King had the "highest degree of integrity to represent all Mainers". Woods' name, however, remained on the ballot.[36]

Campaign spending issues

On June 13, Angus King held a press conference and stated that he would discourage campaign spending by outside groups if his opponents would agree to do the same. King criticized such spending as "a tidal wave of anonymous campaign expenditures that distort our political process." His proposed agreement is modeled on a similar agreement between Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown and his opponent Elizabeth Warren, which requires them, if outside money is spent on their behalf, to donate an equivalent amount of money to the charity of their opponent's choice. Democrat Cynthia Dill criticized the proposal as lacking "detail or substance" but added that she "looked forward to seeing a proposed agreement." Republican Charles Summers did not state whether he would accept King's proposal or not but criticized King for discussing campaign finance instead of issues like the economy and government spending.[37] Andrew Ian Dodge called such an agreement "unworkable", while Steve Woods said he would abide by such an agreement.[38]

In a letter to King, Dill again stated that she was open to an agreement on limiting outside spending in the race, but she also called on King to support measures the candidates can take themselves to limit campaign spending. These include pledging to not finance their campaigns themselves and limiting contributions to $500. Dill also called on King to take stands on a variety of campaign finance legislation, such as the DISCLOSE Act. King told the Bangor Daily News the prior week that he does support increased disclosure requirements for super-PACs, but did not specifically say he supports the DISCLOSE Act. King is so far the only candidate to benefit from super-PAC money, as a group called icpurple Inc. spent $24,000 making an online advertisement for King. King stated that as part of his proposal, he would ask the group to take the ads down.[38]

Danny Dalton stated on June 14 that he would not accept any campaign donations whatsoever, in order to assure constituents that he will represent everyone equally.[39]

Steve Woods pledged to not spend more than $1.3 million on his campaign, or roughly $1 per Maine resident, including campaign donations and his own money. He stated, "If I can't get my message out and if the public isn't interested in that message, to spend more would be egregious."[40]

On July 18, King was criticized for attending a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., where he raised money from PACs and other donors. Republicans said King's actions were "the height of hypocrisy" for speaking out against PAC money and raising it at the same time, while Cynthia Dill criticized King as an "insider who is working the system". King defended his actions by stating that he "took no joy" in them but that it was necessary for him to raise money to defend himself in the "dogfight" he expects. King also reiterated his support of changing campaign finance laws and said that he was making no promises to donors.[41]

Endorsements
Cynthia Dill
Angus King
Individuals
Organisations
Charlie Summers
Andrew Ian Dodge

Fundraising
Candidate (party) Receipts Disbursements Cash on hand Debt
Angus King (I) $937,694 $434,250 $503,444 $37,742
Charlie Summers (R) $294,081 $174,082 $119,289 $55,000
Cynthia Dill (D) $104,512 $75,988 $28,521 $5,698
Source: Federal Election Commission[56][57]

Top contributors by employer

[58]

Angus King Contribution Charlie Summers Contribution Cynthia Dill Contribution
Lee Auto Mall $15,000 Alamo PAC $10,000 Auto Europe $2,500
Bernstein Shur $13,300 Kelly PAC $10,000 Thornton Academy $2,500
Bowdoin College $11,500 Making Business Excel PAC $5,000 Southern Maine Community College $2,500
Elevation Partners $10,000 Royal Shell Real Estate $5,000 Jones Day $2,000
Lee Auto Mall-Auburn $10,000 White Rock Distilleries $5,000 Quimby Foundation $2,000
International Union of Operating Engineers $10,000 D&G Machine Products $3,000 City of Middletown Connecticut $1,000
Spectrum Health $8,950 3M Co. $2,500 Mill to the Hill PAC $1,000 $1,000
Pierce Atwood LLP $8,500 Doyle Group $2,500
Martin's Point Health Care $8,250 Speedway Motorsports, Inc. $2,500
Eaton Peabody $6,000 Moulison North $2,500

Top industries

[60]

Angus King Contribution Charlie Summers Contribution Cynthia Dill Contribution
Retired $117,500 Leadership PACs $25,000 Lawyers/Law Firms $3,850
Lawyers/Law Firms $56,600 Misc Business $23,500 Retired $2,550
Financial Institutions $37,250 Retired $12,000 Health Professionals $2,500
Real Estate $26,600 Real Estate $6,000 Non-Profit Institutions $2,000
Automotive Industry $25,000 Manufacturing & Distributing $5,500 Women's Issues $1,500
Misc Finance $24,750 Alcohol industry $5,000 Civil Servants/Public Officials $1,250
Education $20,960 General Contractors $3,000 Leadership PACs $1,000
Misc Business $20,750 Business Services $2,750 Misc Business $500
Health Professionals $19,450 Telecommunications industry $2,500 Construction Industry $500
Insurance $16,750 Insurance $2,500 Food Industry $350

Predictions
Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[61] Tossup November 1, 2012
Sabato's Crystal Ball[62] Likely I November 5, 2012
Rothenberg Political Report[63] Likely I November 2, 2012
Real Clear Politics[64] Likely I November 5, 2012

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Charlie
Summers (R)		 Cynthia
Dill (D)		 Angus
King (I)		 Other Undecided
WBUR TV/MassInc Polling Group June 13–14, 2012 506 ±4.4% 23% 9% 50% 1% 17%
Portland Press Herald/Critical Insights June 20–25, 2012 615 ±4% 27% 7% 55% 1% 9%
Moore Consulting August 5–6, 2012 500 ±n/a 28% 8% 46% — —
Portland Press Herald/Critical Insights September 12–16, 2012 618 ±4% 28% 12% 50% 3% 8%
Maine People's Resource Center September 15–17, 2012 856 ±3.35% 28% 15% 44% 6% 7%
Public Policy Polling September 17–18, 2012 804 ±3.5% 35% 14% 43% — 8%
Rasmussen Reports September 25, 2012 500 ±4.5% 33% 14% 45% 1% 7%
Pan Atlantic SMS September 24–28, 2012 400 ±4.9% 24% 12% 50% — 14%
Portland Press Herald/Critical Insights October 30–31, 2012 613 ±4% 33% 11% 49% — 7%
Public Policy Polling November 1–2, 2012 1,633 ±2.4% 36% 12% 50% — 2%
Maine People's Resource Center November 1–3, 2012 905 ±3.26% 34% 10.7% 47.6% 4.5% 3.3%

Results
United States Senate election in Maine, 2012[65]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Angus King 370,580 52.89% N/A
Republican Charlie Summers 215,399 30.75% -43.26%
Democratic Cynthia Dill 92,900 13.26% -7.33%
Independent Steve Woods 10,289 1.47% N/A
Independent Danny Dalton 5,807 0.83% N/A
Independent Andrew Ian Dodge 5,624 0.80% N/A
Total votes '700,599' '100.0%' N/A
Independent gain from Republican

See also

References
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  2. Peoples, Steve (February 10, 2011). "Tea Party Express Names Snowe as Its Next Moderate Republican Target". Roll Call. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
  3. Gustini, Ray (November 10, 2010). "Will Olympia Snowe Switch Parties?". The Atlantic Journal. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  4. Moulitsas, Markos (September 14, 2010). "Right time for Snowe switch". The Hill. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  5. Klein, Ezra (November 11, 2009). "Will Olympia Snowe switch parties?". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  6. Bash, Dana and Paul Steinhauser (February 29, 2012). "Citing partisanship, Maine's Snowe says she'll leave the Senate". CNN News. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  7. Cillizza, Chris; Blake, Aaron (February 28, 2012). "Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe to retire in blow to GOP". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  8. "Ballot set for U.S. Senate primary in Maine | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". Pressherald.com. March 23, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
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  13. Mistler, Steve (March 2, 2012). "Raye staying in 2nd Congressional District race, no Senate bid". Lewiston Sun Journal. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  14. "Breaking: Secretary Cohen Will Not Run for ME-Sen". Red Racing Horses. February 29, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
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  16. "AP Election Results | Campaign 2012 | C-SPAN". Hosted.ap.org. June 14, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  17. "Dill sticks in Senate race". The Forecaster. March 7, 2012. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
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  32. "Summers won't resign as Secretary of State during Senate campaign". Kennebec Journal. June 26, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  33. "Maine People's Alliance wants Summers resignation". Bangor Daily News. June 21, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
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  43. "StackPath". www.cynthiadill.com.
  44. "National Women's Political Caucus backs Dill for U.S. Senate". Archived from the original on October 1, 2012.
  45. "StackPath". www.cynthiadill.com.
  46. "Endorsements".
  47. Stone, Matthew. "Jesse Ventura, the Amazing Kreskin offer Maine Senate endorsements". bangordailynews.com.
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  50. Miga, Andrew (October 6, 2012). "King's independent bent roils Maine Senate race". Associated Press. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
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  55. "系统提示". dodgeforsenate.com.
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  58. [http://www.opensecrets.org/races/contrib.php?cycle=2012&id=MES1 Center for Responsive Politics
  59. "Federal Election Commission".
  60. NW, The Center for Responsive Politics 1300 L. St; Washington, Suite 200; fax857-7809, DC 20005 telelphone857-0044. "Kansas District 04 Race". OpenSecrets.
  61. "2012 Senate Race Ratings for November 1, 2012". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  62. "2012 Senate". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  63. "2012 Senate Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  64. "2012 Elections Map - Battle for the Senate 2012". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
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Official campaign websites
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