DCCC Endorses Joe Baldacci in Maine’s 2nd District Primary Against Paul LePage

State Sen. Joe Baldacci received an endorsement from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Maine’s closely watched 2nd District Democratic primary, roughly five weeks before Democratic primary voters choose a nominee.

The endorsement means the DCCC will provide Baldacci with organizational and fundraising support for the primary and, if he wins next month, during the general election against former Republican Gov. Paul LePage this fall.

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Baldacci, an attorney serving his third term in the Maine Senate and previously a Bangor city councilor and mayor, is also the brother of former Democratic congressman and Gov. John Baldacci.

In a statement, DCCC chair Suzan DelBene said, "Joe Baldacci has spent his life serving the people of Maine and fighting for working families across the Second District," while Baldacci said the decision came down to who could defeat LePage.

Baldacci’s primary opponents—Matt Dunlap, Paige Loud and Jordan Wood—dismissed the endorsement as national interests trying to sway Maine voters, with Dunlap calling it "establishment Democrats."

The Intercept reported that locals in Maine bridled at the DCCC’s decision to back Baldacci, prompting angry protests from the three other candidates seeking to replace outgoing Democratic Rep. Jared Golden.

In Baldacci’s home county, the Penobscot County Democratic Committee will vote Saturday on a measure to condemn the endorsement, with former Maine state Senate President Charles Pray saying the proposal denounces the endorsement as being in "total disregard and willfully ignoring" local party rules.

The Intercept

Pray told The Intercept, "Let the people decide. Let the voters in the primary make that determination," and said his pique at the DCCC’s endorsement was not about any one candidate.

A DCCC spokesperson, Viet Shelton, said the group was focused on winning in the general elections and beating back President Donald Trump’s agenda, adding, "It’s imperative that Democrats must take back the House to hold Trump accountable."

The race to replace Golden is being closely watched nationwide ahead of the midterm elections, and whoever wins the Democratic primary will square off against Paul LePage.

In the wake of the DCCC endorsement of Baldacci, the other candidates took aim at D.C. Democrats for picking a side, with Matt Dunlap saying, "It’s undemocratic for national establishment Democrats to put their thumb on the scale in any primary."

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Dunlap also said, "Just like in certain other races across Maine this year, they won’t decide this one — the people of Maine will," while Baldacci declined to comment on the Penobscot County party proposal condemning the endorsement.

Baldacci told The Intercept, "I’m pleased that they did it," saying his understanding was that the DCCC based the endorsement on polling to determine who is best to run against LePage.

Jordan Wood said the DCCC move showed problems with Washington party politics, arguing, "The fact that the national Democratic Party would come in and try to decide this primary literally weeks before we vote is just another example of how broken our Democratic leadership is."

Paige Loud, described as a left-leaning social worker and first-time candidate, said, "It’s annoying that the DCCC thinks they know better than Mainers," after referencing the DSCC’s endorsement of Janet Mills.