Attorney General William Schneider just sent his campaign exploration announcement for U.S. Senate – to Olympia Snowe’s campaign email list.
Below is a screen shot:
Snowe sharing her campaign list brings up a few questions-
- First, if she’s sharing this, it most likely means Schneider’s the pick. This confirms chatter from Washington that Snowe and McKernan have been pushing the Attorney General as their favorite
- Second, the use of a campaign email list has a monetary value, which means this could be construed as a campaign donation in-kind. We’ll have to see if Schneider reports it.
- This also shows the amateur-hour level of the people handling both Snowe and Schneider’s campaign. Schneider could have easily used Olympia’s list by passing it through a new account, this shows a sloppiness that doesn’t bode well for a high-profile statewide race.
This confirms what the Portland Press Herald reported earlier , that Snowe may endorse in the primary:
Sen. Olympia Snowe said Friday that she has been in touch with potential GOP candidates for her seat and anticipates that more Republicans will join the race.
At a news conference she held to discuss her retirement after three terms in the U.S. Senate, Snowe also said she may endorse a candidate before the GOP primary in June, but she isn’t committed to endorsing her party’s eventual nominee.
As candidates scramble to get signatures this weekend, a Snowe endorsement, at first glance, seems like a plus.
Until you look at the electorate.This is a primary electorate dominated by conservatives and Tea Partiers. Many people believe Snowe dropped out of the race because she was looking at an embarrassing loss to the relatively unknown Scott D’Amboise.
This means Olympia’s support could end Schneider’s chances at the nomination before they even begin.