Fresh off an overwhelming victory, Lewiston Mayor Robert MacDonald has endorsed former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin in the Second District congressional race.
“I’m pleased to endorse Bruce Poliquin in his candidacy for Congress,” MacDonald said in a statement. “Bruce was the best State Treasurer that Maine has ever had,”
“He’s an honest and hard-working Franco-American whose grandfather was born and raised in Lewiston,” said MacDonald.
MacDonald, who won his most recent election with 61 percent of the vote, is a former Lewiston police detective.
The early endorsement may play a role is determining which Republican congressional candidate gets the nod, as Lewiston is the most populous city in the 2nd district.
In the 2012 GOP primary, former Senate President Kevin Raye, who is running again this cycle, earned 372 votes, while Blaine Richardson, also running this time around, took in 246.
Of Lewiston’s Republican primary voters, 106, or 14 percent, declined to cast a ballot.
Although recent elections show the city trending Republican, it has typically been a Democratic stronghold. In the 2012 general election, U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud defeated Raye 10,562 votes to 4,877.
Steve Robinson
Maine Wire Reporter
SERobinson@themainewire.com
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