PORTLAND — Former President Bill Clinton is visiting Maine on Tuesday to give a boost to Democrat Mike Michaud’s campaign for governor.
More than 1,500 people are expected to attend the 8 p.m. event at the Portland Exposition Building, where Clinton will rally the party faithful and raise money for the Democrat hoping to defeat Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
Clinton is the highest-profile Democrat to campaign for Michaud in the tight three-person race for governor.
Michaud said he has admired Clinton’s ability to work across the aisle, which he contends is missing in Maine under LePage’s leadership.
“Based on the reaction our invitation has received, it’s clear voters in Maine are extremely excited about this race and ready for a change,” he said in a statement last week.
LePage also is getting some help from big-name Republicans.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, chairman of the Republican Governors Association who’s also mulling a run for president in 2016, has come to Maine twice to campaign and raise money for LePage and has said his group will spend millions of dollars in the state to help him win another term.
Republicans used Clinton’s visit to Maine to attack Michaud, highlighting disparities between the two on the issue of welfare.
While president, Clinton implemented significant changes to the nation’s welfare programs, such as allowing states to impose time limits on certain benefits.
The RGA noted that while Michaud was in the state Senate, where he served as president, Maine was one of a handful of states that didn’t impose the time limit.
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- Former President Bill Clinton, left, will be in Portland Tuesday night to rally Democrats for Mike Michaud in Michaud’s race to be Maine’s next governor. Michaud is challenging incumbent Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Eliot Cutler, an independent candidate from Cape Elizabeth is also in the running.
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