LEWISTON — Social media has been aflutter with campaign images promoting local candidates that originate from a political action committee whose mission is to elect Republican and conservative candidates to municipal and state office.

“Our fight is with Augusta, not our neighbors! One vote can change Maine!” one image says in big, bold letters situated next to Ward 7 Councilor Bret Martel who is running for Maine State House District 95. “The humiliation of Lewiston and our citizens must end! Vote for change in November!” another image says next to mayoral candidate Rick LaChapelle, who along with three other candidates is running to unseat incumbent Carl Sheline.

At the very bottom of the image a disclaimer reads: “Paid for by Save Lewiston PAC, 937 Main St. Lewiston ME 04240. Not paid for or authorized by any candidate. This communication contains audio, video and/or images that have been manipulated or altered.”

The image is one of over 90 on Save Lewiston PAC’s Facebook page promoting eight candidates for public office, many for municipal offices such as City Council and the School Committee.

The PAC — which has raised over $50,000 and spent about $4,100 — supports “Republicans and candidates who support conservative policies seeking election for any State or Lewiston Municipal position or office,” according to position statements in its filing. 

The filing also says the PAC opposes “Democrats and candidates (with) liberal, leftist, and/or liberal policies seeking election for any State or Lewiston Municipal position or office.”

Filings list three officers responsible for committee business: Principal Officer Thomas Peters III, Treasurer Shane Bouchard and authorized agent Mitchel Roberge. Peters and Roberge are attorneys and Bouchard was Lewiston’s mayor for just over a year, from January 2018 to March 2019. Bouchard stepped down as mayor following a controversy involving private texts. 

The PAC’s physical address, 937 Main St. in Lewiston, matches Peters & Roberge Attorneys at Law. Peters, Bouchard and Roberge did not reply to questions.

‘LEWISTON NEEDS TO BE SAVED’

In addition to LaChapelle, when it comes to city races, images generated by the PAC promote Susan Longchamps, running against Rebecca J. Long to retain her seat as Ward 2 councilor; Chandra Sasseville, who faces incumbent Michael Roy and resident Matthew Agren in Ward 4; Robert Glaspy Jr., who is running against Hollie Anne Niemi to replace outgoing Ward 6 Councilor David Chittim; and Marcel Leclair, who is running against Nicole Johnson for Lewiston School Committee’s Ward 5 seat. 

Alongside Martel, for State House candidates, the PAC is also promoting Longchamps, a Republican, for House District 93 against incumbent Democrat Julia McCabe; Republican Lee Clement, who faces Democrat Luke Jensen for the House District 96 seat; and unenrolled candidate Eryn Soule, who faces Democrat Shanna Cox for Maine Senate District 21.

The Sun Journal reached out to the eight candidates featured in Save Lewiston’s images. Martel and Soule said they are not receiving any financial contributions from the PAC and have not had any communication with it.

Though he has not worked with the Save Lewiston organization, Martel said he knows some of those who are involved with it and has had ordinary conversations with them as he has many in the community.

“Those conversations did not concern the PAC’s support for me, its advertisements, expenditures, priorities, decisions or campaign strategy,” Martel said. “I have not requested, suggested, approved or coordinated any of the PAC’s activities, and neither I nor my campaign has received any contribution or funding from the PAC.”

The Save Lewiston PAC’s decision to support Martel was theirs alone, Martel said, adding that he appreciates lawful support, but did not request, approve or coordinate the PAC’s activities. 

“Its activities will not change how I conduct my campaign,” Martel said. “I remain focused on running my own local, grassroots campaign and speaking directly with the people of District 95.”

Soule, too, says she had no involvement with the PAC, though the sentiment in its name is something she strongly identifies with.

“My assumption is that the PAC believes Lewiston is going in the wrong direction and needs to be saved,” Soule said. “Whether you are looking at drugs, violence, homelessness, property taxes or education, Lewiston’s current policies and leadership, including those representing us in Augusta, have taken us in the wrong direction and Lewiston needs to be saved with a reversal in policies and approach.”

Identifying as a fiscal conservative supporting smaller government, lower taxes and less regulation, Soule said the election should be about Lewiston and the problems facing its residents. If Save Lewiston makes more people pay attention to those problems, it’s a good thing, she said.

“More people paying attention means more feedback and input and more people getting involved. Lewiston needs some wins!” Soule said.

‘VOTERS SHOULD KNOW’

Cox, Soule’s opponent, said the U.S. Supreme Court made outside money a fact of life in politics with its Citizens United decision. But, she said, PACs don’t win elections.

“Knocking on doors does,” Cox said. “I have been to over 7,000 of them, and what I hear from neighbors about wages, housing, heating their homes this winter and the cost of living matters a lot more to me than who’s spending what on TV ads.”

Though Cox said her campaign has benefited from PACs coming from “more seasoned electeds as well as organized labor,” she said her concern about Save Lewiston is that it uses AI-generated images and slogans to tell voters who to support — and that it is taking a nonpartisan municipal election and making it highly partisan.

“(The ads) say very little about what those candidates would actually do for Lewiston,” Cox said. “Voters should know who is behind those messages and who is accountable for them. I expect candidates and elected officials to be clear about their positions and answer for what they say.”

Brendan Fischer, director of strategic investigations for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan organization focused on improving democratic participation, said PAC spending at the municipal level may be less common than at the state or federal level, but is not unprecedented.

“Particularly when wealthy interests have an interest in the outcome of the race,” Fischer said. “In some cases, super PAC spending can come from local races becoming nationalized, but here campaign finance reports indicate that the funding is coming from local interests.”

Fischer said that the “seemingly AI-generated ads” may simply reflect the growing availability of AI tools.

Martel’s Democratic opponent, Kiernan Majerus-Collins, said he was not aware of any spending by outside PACs in support of his campaign and considers Save Lewiston “bad news” for the city and its residents. Given Bouchard’s history as mayor, he said, the PAC is problematic as much for who is running it as the “corporate money and AI slop.”

Majerus-Collins said PACs are “a symptom of a broken campaign finance system” that considers political spending protected free speech. He said he is used to PACs spending money against him.

“In my primary, an out-of-town PAC used out-of-state corporate money from the gambling industry to try to defeat me,” Majerus-Collins said. “That effort failed, and I am confident this one will too.”

Sheline, who has been a target of the PAC’s promotional materials, said Save Lewiston is “propping up candidates and talking points” that voters have rejected in previous elections. 

“Their abundance of AI-generated graphics doesn’t make them or their positions any more appealing,” Sheline said. “The vast majority of people in Lewiston support our local schools, value the library and don’t want to see our neighbors kidnapped by masked government thugs. Lewistonians care deeply about each other. It’s what makes this city great and it’s why I love being mayor.”