So far, 23 Republican candidates and nine Democrats have withdrawn, fewer than in the previous legislative elections of 2016 and 2014. Democrats have found a replacement in House District 111, which includes parts on Madison and the towns of Norridgewock and Solon. The parties face a July 23 deadline of lining up candidates for the other races.

Although placeholder withdrawals are a regular occurrence in legislative elections, this year the situation is more complicated because Maine Clean Elections Act funding is not available for new candidates.

The state ethics commission, which oversees the clean elections fund, said in a memo to lawmakers Wednesday that funding for replacement candidates would not be available unless the Legislature fixes a typographical error in a bill that blocks the allocation of clean elections money for campaigning. A partisan standoff has prevented lawmakers from making the fix, and the Legislature is now in recess from its special session.

“Nevertheless, because a legislative fix is still possible, replacement candidates may declare their intent to qualify for MCEA funding and begin collecting seed money and qualifying contributions,” the memo said.

Clean elections candidates collect $5 donations that qualify them for public matching funds. House candidates need a minimum of 60 donations and Senate candidates must collect 175 donations. The candidates cannot accept any private contributions but may become eligible for additional public funds when they turn in additional qualifying $5 donations. House candidates can become eligible for up to $15,000 while Senate candidates can receive a maximum of $60,000.

But the public funds will not be available unless the Legislature returns to session and fixes the typographical error.

In 2016, 64 percent of the Legislature ran as clean elections candidates, although Democrats use the program more frequently than Republicans. In the House, 60 Republicans ran under the publicly funded system compared to 115 Democrats. In the Senate, 26 Democrats and 19 Republicans ran as publicly funded candidates.

The state spent a total of $3.3 million on publicly financed campaigns in 2016 – up from $1.9 million in 2014.

All 35 state Senate seats and 151 seats in the House are up for election this year.

Republicans have nine Senate races without candidates as of Tuesday, while Democrats had candidates running in all 35 Senate races. In the House, Republicans lacked candidates in 14 races, compared to eight races for Democrats, according to the most recent information available from the Maine Secretary of State’s Office.

The lopsided numbers prompted Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett to predict that Republicans were bracing for “electoral losses” in 2018.

“Seeing so many Republican candidates drop out of their races is a very clear sign that those folks weren’t confident about their chances in November,” Bartlett said in a prepared statement. “The amount of enthusiasm we’ve seen from Democrats interested in running has been off the charts compared to past election cycles, and that’s reflected in the fact that Democrats are fielding competitive candidates in all 35 Senate districts—and those candidates are following through on their commitment to run, unlike what you’re seeing from Republicans.”

But Republican staffers in the state Senate were quick to point out their nine replacement candidates in 2014 picked up four victories – although one was later reversed on a recount – helping Republicans to recapture a Senate majority.

Nina McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Maine Republican Party, dismissed Bartlett’s predictions.

“This is a normal part of the process that occurs every year,” McLaughlin wrote in an email message to the Portland Press Herald. “Perhaps instead of looking to us, the Democrat Party should be focusing on their own races in light of their recent historic losing streak.”