Nuggets from the notebook while reviewing some of the money behind Question 1 …
One of the more controversial political ads from the battle over Election Day voter registration came from Secure Maine’s Ballot, the group that fought to ensure the repeal of Maine’s 38-year-old law.
A week before the election the ballot question committee released a 15-second television and radio spot that hinted that “Mainers or outsiders from other states” were influencing elections here.
Supporters of EDR took that as a dig against Donald Sussman, the hedge fund manager and husband of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine. Sussman poured nearly $285,000 into the Yes on 1 effort, and he’s been heavily involved in other progressive ventures in Maine.
As it turns out, most of the No on 1 group’s war chest was funded by an outside interest group.
According to campaign finance disclosure from the state’s Ethics Commission, the Michigan-based American Justice Partnership contributed $250,000 to Secure Maine’s Ballot, a sum that that helped pay for the “outsiders” ad (approximate cost: $201,000).
Secure Maine’s Ballot received a little over $312,000 in contributions.
That figure was dwarfed by the $658,000 gathered by the yes on 1 group, Protect Maine’s Votes.
American Justice Partnership is a national group with partners currently influencing national conservative politics. The AJP does not disclose its donors; however, its partners include the Heritage Foundation and the American Legislative Exchange Council, national groups that hold significant sway over conservative policymaking.
AJP’s partners would appear to have more of an interest in the EDR debate than the group itself, which is mostly interested in tort reform. The group’s website says it stands up to “greedy trial lawyers” and has fought to allow voters to elect court justices.
Meanwhile, ALEC, a nonprofit group that creates model legislation for Republican state lawmakers, is believed to be behind voter ID bills introduced in several states, including Maine.
No firm link has been established between ALEC and the Legislature’s EDR repeal.
The Heritage Foundation has also advocated for stricter ballot laws. One of its commentators, Hans von Spakovsky, has been a longtime advocate for photo ID. Von Spakovsky also blasted a study by the Brennan Center that found voter fraud problems were vastly overstated.
Von Spakovsky’s critique was deployed by the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a conservative advocacy group, during the Question 1 battle. MHPC, also fought against EDR, although its ballot question committee spent just over $6,000 on the effort.
MHPC belongs to the State Policy Network, as does the Manhattan Institute, another partner of the American Justice Partnership. MHPC in the past has partnered with the Heritage Foundation on tax issues.
Meanwhile, Protect Maine Votes, which led the Yes on 1 effort, was funded by about 190 different donors and a who’s-who in Maine progressive politics. Despite the ideological bent of its donors, the group successfully framed the EDR debate as a nonpartisan issue.
Sussman’s contributions were far and away the most sizable individual donations.
However, several unions also kicked in significant financial support.
The largest sums came from teachers’ unions, which provided a combined $105,000. Most of that, $80,000, came from the Maine Teachers Association umbrella group in Washington, D.C., the National Education Association.
Affiliates of the AFL-CIO and the SEIU also provided funding, including some in-kind donations.
Another in-kind contributor was the Maine People’s Resource Center, which gave $68,200. The group was also responsible for releasing an opinion poll a few days before the election that determined the Yes on 1 effort would likely prevail.
As of the last filing, the Yes on 1 group spent $380,879 of its $657,971. The primary No on 1 group spent all but 44 cents of its $312,270.
Final post-election reports are due Tuesday.
House leaders declare for Senate
The battle for the majority in the state Legislature is just beginning to take shape as candidates take out papers for the 2012 election.
Last week two prominent members of leadership in the House of Representatives made public their intentions of moving to the Senate.
Rep. Andre Cushing, R-Hampden, announced that he was running for Senate District 33. The seat is currently held by Sen. Debra Plowman, R-Hampden, the assistant majority leader. Plowman is termed out of the Senate next year.
Cushing will face a primary challenger in Brian Duprey, also of Hampden. But the House majority whip may have the upper hand in that contest. Former House minority leader Josh Tardy, now a lobbyist, will serve as Cushing’s campaign treasurer.
Sherman Leighton is the Democratic challenger in District 33. Leighton ran against Plowman in 2010. Plowman trounced Leighton by gathering 66 percent of the vote.
Meanwhile, House minority leader Rep. Emily Cain, D-Orono, will try to take the District 30 seat currently held by Sen. Elizabeth Schneider, D-Orono, who will term out next year.
Cain’s move was anticipated, except, perhaps, by some media outlets in Washington, D.C. Earlier this year a Beltway news outlet hinted that Cain might challenge U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
Cain quickly put those rumors to rest.
No Republican candidate has taken out papers for District 30.
smistler@sunjournal.com
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