Politics

GOP Shawn Moody Sweeps Maine Governor’s Race

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Republican auto body shop entrepreneur Shawn Moody defeated a list of GOP candidates in Tuesday’s Maine gubernatorial primary and will now take on a Democratic candidate in the general election to determine who will replace sitting Gov. Paul LePage.

With 71 percent of precincts reporting, Moody defeated three Republican candidates with 56 percent of the vote. As experts expected, Moody wiped out running mates Garrett Mason, Mary Mayhew and Ken Fredette. Mason had 23 percent of the vote, Mayhew 15 percent and Fredette only 6 percent of the vote.

Moody ran a similar campaign to both LePage and President Donald Trump, alleging that his outside experience would make him better suited for the office than his opponents. “When you look at Governor LePage, he’s an outsider. He’s a businessman… President Trump is an outsider, businessman. I’m an outsider. I’m a businessman,” Moody said at a debate for the candidacy. The polls closed at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The latest BallotPedia poll showed Moody with 34 percent of the vote and Mayhew with 19 percent ahead of Tuesday’s primaries.

Maine Democrats have not called a winner of Tuesday’ s primary, but Democratic candidate Janet Mills  currently leads the field. Mills, who is Maine’s Attorney General, is running on her own record and experience, promising a government that will respond more proactively and expand Medicaid coverage.

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