Rep. Mike Michaud, also next governor of Maine.
Once upon a time, in 2010, reliably Democratic Maine elected a crazy tea party wingnut to the governorship. It had nothing to do with popularity. Republican Paul LePage received only 38 percent of the vote. The Democrat and an independent candidate split the rest of the vote.
So how did LePage govern in a state President Barack Obama had won by 17 points in 2008? Well, like a tea party Republican. It might be the biggest mismatch between governor and constituency in the entire country. Headlines like this one genuinely apply:
How Did Mild-Mannered Maine Get America’s Craziest Governor?
If it wasn't for the state's strong tradition of independent candidates, we wouldn't even be talking about this race. LePage is certainly not popular,
still mired in the 30s in polling. But once again, a third-party challenger is splitting the anti-GOP vote, and once again we face the possibility of another four years of an unrepresentative governor.
We have a great candidate in Michael Michaud, who would be the nation's first openly LGBT governor. He is a champion of environmental issues, wants to expand Medicaid, and is solid down the line on labor and women's issues.
The polling is neck-and-neck, so every dollar will count. And in a small media-market state like Maine, your dollars go a long way.
So if you want to get rid of a guy who says things like this:
[A]s your governor, you're gonna be seeing a lot of me on the front page saying ‘Gov. LePage tells Obama to go to hell."
Or
this:
LePage told reporters that state Sen. Troy Jackson 'claims to be for the people, but he’s the first one to give it to the people without providing Vaseline.
Or
this:
Gov. Paul LePage is once again stirring controversy with his off-the-cuff and sometimes off-color statements, this time telling National Association for the Advancement of Colored People leaders and other critics to “kiss my butt” over his decision to decline several invitations from the organization.
You get the picture. He's America's craziest governor and has no business holding office in Maine.
So give $3 to help retire him early. I'm definitely contributing.