Body shop entrepreneur Shawn Moody, a former independent who joined the Republican Party in October, has assembled a team of former members of Gov. Paul LePage’s staff for his anticipated run for governor in 2018.
Moody, of Gorham, is expected to announce his candidacy Tuesday. He said previously that he would disclose his intentions by Thanksgiving.
The team assembled by Moody includes LePage’s daughter, Lauren LePage; a key political consultant and occasional spokesman to the governor, Brent Littlefield; and another former LePage adviser, Mike Hersey. Hersey has been involved with a PAC backed by LePage that has raised thousands of dollars for conservative candidates and causes.
Thursday’s announcement by Littlefield also details Moody’s background as a small businessman who grew his auto-body business, started when Moody was in high school, to a chain of 11 shops around Maine.
“Shawn is known as an independent voice from the political class in Augusta and Washington which sometimes puts lobbyists and special interests in front of the people,” Littlefield said. “His commitment has always been to the Maine people first.”
Moody ran for governor in 2010 as an independent but finished a distant fourth, behind LePage, independent Eliot Cutler and the Democratic candidate, former state Senate President Libby Mitchell.
Moody was appointed by LePage to serve on the board of the University of Maine System as well as the Maine Community College System and is believed to be the first person to serve on both at the same time.
Littlefield also announced that former House minority leader Joe Bruno, a Raymond Republican, would serve as the campaign treasurer. Moody will be the 20th candidate to enter the race.
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