There could be as many as seven candidates for governor on the November ballot, after four independents qualified last week – with two of the four handing in enough $5 donations to likely make them eligible for public financing of their campaigns.
The state Commission on Ethics and Election Practices is still reviewing the paperwork on those checks, handed in by Rep. Barbara Merrill of Appleton and former Rep. John Michael of Auburn.
Paul Lavin, the assistant director of the office, said his staff should be able to get through Merrill’s paperwork this week, but it could take longer to get through Michael’s.
Both were required to hand in at least 2,500 $5-checks with accompanying paperwork listing the donor’s address and signature. All donors had to be certified by local clerks as being registered voters in Maine.
Lavin said both candidates estimated they handed in about 2,800 checks, but some of the original paperwork is still with town clerks. That paperwork will have to be validated before the ethics commission can certify either candidate for public financing.
Merrill is a former Democrat who turned independent on the first day of the legislative session this year, ultimately leaving Democrats with just a one-vote lead in the House.
“We have a comfortable margin,” said Merrill, who had handed in some checks before the deadline to get the verification process started.
Michael is a controversial figure, who ran for governor as an independent in 2002. As a state representative, he was censored by the House for yelling at two women senators, and when he ran for governor he used a racial slur during a live radio interview. He did not qualify for public financing in 2002 and got 2 percent of the vote.
Two other independents, David John Jones of Falmouth and Phillip Morris NaPier, also qualified for the ballot by handing in the needed 4,000 registered voter signatures, but won’t be getting any public money for their campaign. All candidates, whether publicly or privately financed, have to hand in petitions to get their names on the ballot.
NaPier, an ex-convict and civil rights advocate from Windham, who ran in 2002 as a write-in candidate, didn’t even try to collect the $5 checks. Jones told election officials he was about 300 checks short, but could still appear on the ballot if he doesn’t withdraw his name.
The independents, who had later paperwork deadlines than party-affiliated candidates, will appear on the ballot along with Gov. John Baldacci – the presumed Democratic nominee; Green candidate Pat LaMarche; and whichever of the three Republicans wins next Tuesday’s primary. Sen. Chandler Woodcock of Franklin County, Sen. Peter Mills of Somerset County, and former Congressman David Emery of St. George are vying for the Republican slot. Chris Miller of Gray is challenging Baldacci.
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