Power

Maine Keeps Republican Governor, Loses Hope of Expanding Medicaid

The Maine state legislature voted three times to expand Medicaid in the last two years, and Gov. Paul LePage vetoed it every time.

The Maine state legislature voted three times to expand Medicaid in the last two years, and Gov. Paul LePage vetoed it every time. WMTW-TV/Youtube

Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage defeated Democratic challenger Mike Michaud on Tuesday night, a result that could end hopes of 70,000 Maine residents gaining access to affordable health care under Medicaid.

The Maine state legislature voted three times to expand Medicaid in the last two years, and LePage vetoed it every time, following the GOP’s playbook in systematically undermining the Affordable Care Act and, more generally, the expansion of health-care access.

LePage has also vetoed an expansion of family planning services for low-income women under Medicaid.

That proposal would have provided an estimated 14,000 women making less than $23,000 a year with coverage for cancer screenings, well-woman exams, birth control, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, along with sexual health information.

LePage, who is famous for his intemperate comments, joked at a rally Monday that a local newspaper columnist should be put on “suicide watch” due to LePage’s impending win.

The incumbent Republican governor may have benefited from Democratic vote-splitting, which helped him get elected in the first place when liberals split the vote between Democrat Libby Mitchell and Independent Eliot Cutler in 2010.

Cutler ran again this year, but stopped airing ads last week and told his supporters they could support another candidate if they chose.

Cutler did not fully withdraw from the race, however, which may have contributed to the defeat of Michaud, who serves as U.S. House representative for Maine’s 2nd District.

The Republican Governors Association was happy to encourage vote-splitting, running ads in support of Cutler and against Michaud that did not mention LePage.

Some odd factors may have also affected turnout. A freak snowstorm affecting mostly conservative areas could have been the one time where bad weather actually helped Democrats, but a controversial measure against bear baiting that was the talk of the state may have encouraged more LePage supporters to come to the polls.