Janet Mills leaving her name on the ballot while pretending to quit the race is the oldest dirty trick in the world.
Democrat Gov. Janet Mills is having her cake and eating it too.
To wit, even though Mills claimed recently to be quitting her U.S. Senate primary bid, it’s just an act.
Mills intentionally made sure her name still appears on the primary ballot, alphabetically between Graham Platner below and David Costello above.
The governor was polling so bad against Platner she saved whatever face she had left and “suspended” her campaign before the votes are counted June 9.
That’s the key – counting ballots.
The truth is the name Janet Mills is still on the primary ballot and she could still be elected.
The only way votes for Janet wouldn’t be counted is if she notified the Maine secretary of state, who oversees elections, that she officially withdrew from the race.
“Anyone at this point who votes for Gov. Janet Mills – their vote would be counted for her,” Katherine McBrien, chief deputy secretary of state, told NewsCenter Maine.
“She has withdrawn from campaigning, but she has not officially withdrawn from the race,” McBrien added. “In order to officially withdraw from the race and not have votes counted, she has to submit in writing to our office that she has withdrawn.”
If Mills were to do that, the secretary of state’s office would post notices at Maine’s polling locations to let voters know that she has officially withdrawn.
But of course precinct notices are worthless for those who vote by mail or cast “absentee” ballots.
Not only is Janet Mills still playing gutter politics after 50 years in public office, she’s now doing it against her own party’s interest.
By refusing to come out publicly for Platner or Costello she’s sending a subliminal message to voters – ‘I’m still on the ballot so vote for Janet Mills.’
Mills also realizes that it’s not outside of the realm of possibility that she could still win the election, especially in light of the headwinds that Platner is facing with the repeated day-by-day public discovery of his old offensive social-media posts.
So make no mistake – Janet is still in it to win it, she’s just not spending any money trying to do it.
It’s akin to shopping at Marden’s, which BTW Janet said she was planning to do when she allegedly quit the campaign.
Janet is sure shopping at Marden’s – it’s just not called Marden’s…
A candidate suspending a campaign after ballots are printed is the oldest dirty trick in the book.
By doing so, Janet Mills has cemented her legacy as the (sore) loser she is, literally and figuratively.
