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Political party strength in Maine

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Maine:

The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:

For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's nominees received the state's electoral votes.

History

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The Republican Party controlled the governorship from the American Civil War to 1932, with the Democratic Party only winning four times. The Greenback Party was active in Maine and its gubernatorial candidates had their vote totals rise from 520 votes in the 1876 election to 41,371 votes in the 1878 election. The Greenbacks aided in the election of Democratic gubernatorial nominees Alonzo Garcelon and Harris M. Plaisted. The Democratic Party did not control the state legislature between 1847 and 1911.[1]

The Maine Republican Party supported Theodore Roosevelt during the 1912 Republican presidential primaries against President William Howard Taft. The Maine Progressive Party was founded by Roosevelt supporters on July 31, 1912, at a convention in Portland, Maine. The Republicans were weakened after losing members including Charles H. Hitchborn, who was the treasurer of the party, although Warren C. Philbrook, the chair of the party, remained. Woodrow Wilson won Maine in the presidential election while Roosevelt received more votes than Taft.[1]

On April 5, 1916, the Progressives held their convention and nominated Edwin Lawrence for governor under the coniditon that they would follow the path of the national party. The national Progressive Party attempted to nominate Roosevelt for president against, but he declined and the party returned to the Republicans. The Maine Progressives withdrew their candidates and supported the Republicans. B. F. Lawrence, who ran for a seat in the Maine House of Representatives, was the only Progressive elected in 1916, but later joined the Republicans.[1]

Robert M. La Follette, who ran as the Progressive presidential nominee in the 1924 election, told Gilbert E. Roe, who was running his campaign in the eastern United States, that the conditions for his campaigns were good in the eastern United States except for in Maine and Vermont. Republican nominee Calvin Coolidge received over 70% of the popular vote while La Follette only received six percent.[1]

Table

[edit]
Year Governor State Legislature United States Congress Electoral votes
State Senate State House U.S. Senator (Class I) U.S. Senator (Class II) U.S. House District 1 U.S. House District 2
1820 William King (DR)[a] DR majority DR majority John Holmes (DR) John Chandler (DR) Joseph Dane (F)[b] James Monroe/
Daniel D. Tompkins (DR) Green tickY
1821 DR majority DR majority
William D. Williamson (DR)[c][d] 5DR, 2F
Benjamin Ames (DR)[e][f]
1822 Daniel Rose (DR)[c] DR majority DR majority 6DR, 1F
Albion Parris (DR)
1823 DR majority DR majority
1824 DR majority NR majority John Quincy Adams/
John C. Calhoun (DR) Green tickY
1825 DR majority DR majority John Holmes (NR) John Chandler (J) 6NR, 1J
1826 DR majority DR majority
1827 Enoch Lincoln (DR)[g] DR majority DR majority Albion Parris (J)[f] 4NR, 3J
1828 DR majority DR majority John Quincy Adams/
Richard Rush (DR) Red XN
1829 DR majority NR majority John Holmes (NR) Peleg Sprague (NR) 4J, 3NR
Nathan Cutler (D)[h]
1830 Joshua Hall (D)[e] 12NR, 8DR NR majority
Jonathan G. Hunton (NR)
1831 Samuel E. Smith (D) 11DR, 9DR 86DR, 62NR, 1? 6J, 1NR
1832 21DR, 4NR 100DR, 58NR, 24?, 2 vac. Andrew Jackson/
Martin Van Buren (D) Green tickY
1833 15DR, 10NR 97DR, 59NR, 30? Ether Shepley (J)[f] 7J, 1NR
1834 Robert P. Dunlap (D) 21DR, 3NR, 1A-M 79DR, 39NR, 63?[i]
1835 18D, 7NR 94D, 66NR, 26? John Ruggles (J) 6J, 2NR
1836 22D, 3NR 51D, 41NR, 94?[j] Judah Dana (J) Martin Van Buren/
Richard Mentor Johnson (D) Green tickY
1837 21D, 4W 108D, 54W, 24? Reuel Williams (D)[f] John Ruggles (D) 6D, 2W
1838 Edward Kent (W)[k] 14D, 11W 98W, 85D, 5? 5D, 3W
1839 John Fairfield (D)[f] 15D, 10W 107D, 73W, 9?. 1 vac. 6D, 2W
1840 17D, 8W 123D, 63W, 5? William Henry Harrison/
John Tyler (W) Green tickY
1841 Richard H. Vose (W)[c] 18W, 7D 94W, 66D, 30?[l] George Evans (W) 4D, 4W
Edward Kent (W)
1842 John Fairfield (D)[m] 27D, 4W 131D, 55W, 18?
1843 30D, 1W 55D, 18W, 78?[n] 5D, 2W
Edward Kavanagh (D)[c][f] vacant
1844 David Dunn (D)[e][f] 28D, 3W 89D, 42W, 2Lty, 18? John Fairfield (D)[g] James K. Polk/
George M. Dallas (D) Green tickY
John W. Dana (D)[c]
Hugh J. Anderson (D)
1845 85D, 49W, 17? 6D, 1W
1846 27D, 4W 85D, 66W
1847 78D, 66W, 6Lty, 1I James W. Bradbury (D)
John W. Dana (D)
1848 102D, 49W Wyman B. S. Moor (D) Lewis Cass/
William Orlando Butler (D) Red XN
Hannibal Hamlin (D)[o]
1849 20D, 11W 85D, 66W 5D, 2W
1850 88D, 63R
John Hubbard (D)
1851 26D, 4W, 1FS[p] 93D, 50W, 8FS[p]
1852 4D, 3W Franklin Pierce/
William R. King (D) Green tickY
1853 William G. Crosby (W) 22W, 9D 84D, 62W, 4FS, 1? vacant 3D, 3W
1854 17W, 14D 76D, 66W, 9FS William P. Fessenden (W)
1855 Anson Morrill (R) 16W, 10D, 5FS 83D, 44W, 23FS, 1?[q] 3O, 2R, 1D
1856 Samuel Wells (D) 20D, 9W, 2R 68D, 61R, 22W[r] John C. Frémont/
William L. Dayton (R) Red XN
1857 Hannibal Hamlin (R)[m] 30R, 1D 125R, 26D[s] Amos Nourse (R) William P. Fessenden (R)[f] 6R
Joseph H. Williams (R)[c] Hannibal Hamlin (R)[t]
1858 Lot M. Morrill (R) 117R, 34D[u]
1859 103R, 48D
1860 119R, 32D Abraham Lincoln/
Hannibal Hamlin (R) Green tickY
1861 Israel Washburn Jr. (R) 31R 128R, 23D Lot M. Morrill (R)
1862 26R, 5D 123R, 28D
1863 Abner Coburn (R) 25R, 6D 107R, 44D 4R, 1D
1864 Samuel Cony (R) 30R, 1D 120R, 31D Abraham Lincoln/
Andrew Johnson (NU) Green tickY
Nathan A. Farwell (R)
1865 28R, 3D 129R, 22D William P. Fessenden (R)[g] 5R
1866 31R 136R, 15D
1867 Joshua Chamberlain (R) 138R, 13D
1868 28R, 3D 105R, 46D Ulysses S. Grant/
Schuyler Colfax (R) Green tickY
1869 29R, 2D 123R, 28D Hannibal Hamlin (R)
1870 28R, 3D 117R, 34D Lot M. Morrill (R)
1871 Sidney Perham (R) 113R, 38D
1872 112R, 39D Ulysses S. Grant/
Henry Wilson (R) Green tickY
1873 30R, 1LR 128R, 19D, 2LR, 2I
1874 Nelson Dingley Jr. (R) 103R, 41D, 7I
1875 28R, 3D 89R, 55D, 7I
1876 Seldon Connor (R) 20R, 11D 85R, 63D, 3I Rutherford B. Hayes/
William A. Wheeler (R) Green tickY
1877 29R, 2D 120R, 30D, 1I James G. Blaine (R)
1878 28R, 3D 99R, 47D, 3I, 2GB
1879 Alonzo Garcelon (D) 20R, 10GB, 1D 65R, 57GB, 27D, 2I[v] 3R, 2GB
1880 Daniel F. Davis (R) 19R, 11GB, 1D 90R, 50GB, 11D James A. Garfield/
Chester A. Arthur (R) Green tickY
1881 Harris M. Plaisted (D) 23R, 6GB, 2D 84R, 40GB, 27D Eugene Hale (R) William P. Frye (R)[g]
1882
1883 Frederick Robie (R) 28R, 3D 108R, 43D 4R[b]
1884 James G. Blaine/
John A. Logan (R) Red XN
1885 31R 115R, 34D, 2GB 4R
1886
1887 Joseph R. Bodwell (R)[g] 27R, 4D 122R, 29D
Sebastian Streeter Marble (R)[c]
1888 Benjamin Harrison/
Levi P. Morton (R) Green tickY
1889 Edwin C. Burleigh (R) 31R 125R, 26D
1890
1891 27R, 4D 110R, 41D
1892 Benjamin Harrison/
Whitelaw Reid (R) Red XN
1893 Henry B. Cleaves (R) 30R, 1D 107R, 44D
1894
1895 31R 146R, 5D
1896 William McKinley/
Garret Hobart (R) Green tickY
1897 Llewellyn Powers (R) 145R, 6D
1898
1899 126R, 25D
1900 William McKinley/
Theodore Roosevelt (R) Green tickY
1901 John Fremont Hill (R) 30R, 1D 132R, 19D
1902
1903 128R, 23D
1904 Theodore Roosevelt/
Charles W. Fairbanks Green tickY
1905 William T. Cobb (R) 27R, 4D 126R, 25D
1906
1907 23R, 8D 88R, 63D
1908 William Howard Taft/
James S. Sherman (R) Green tickY
1909 Bert M. Fernald (R) 100R, 51D
1910
1911 Frederick W. Plaisted (D) 22D, 9R 86D, 65R Charles F. Johnson (D) 2R, 2D
Obadiah Gardner (D)
1912 Woodrow Wilson/
Thomas R. Marshall (D) Green tickY
1913 William T. Haines (R) 21R, 10D 79R, 72D Edwin C. Burleigh (R)[g] 3R, 1D
1914
1915 Oakley C. Curtis (D) 17R, 14D 78D, 69R, 4Prog
1916 Charles Evans Hughes/
Charles W. Fairbanks (R) Red XN
vacant
Bert M. Fernald (R)
1917 Carl Milliken (R) 28R, 3D 105R, 46D Frederick Hale (R) 4R
1918
1919 29R, 2D 110R, 41D
1920 Warren G. Harding/
Calvin Coolidge (R) Green tickY
1921 Frederic Hale Parkhurst (R)[g] 31R 135R, 16D
Percival P. Baxter (R)[w]
1922
1923 28R, 3D 116R, 35D
1924 Calvin Coolidge/
Charles G. Dawes (R) Green tickY
1925 Owen Brewster (R) 30R, 1D 122R, 29D
1926
vacant
Arthur R. Gould (R)
1927 129R, 22D
1928 Herbert Hoover/
Charles Curtis (R) Green tickY
1929 William Tudor Gardiner (R) 31R 135R, 16D
1930
1931 120R, 31D Wallace H. White (R)
1932 Herbert Hoover/
Charles Curtis (R) Red XN
1933 Louis J. Brann (D) 26R, 7D 93R, 58D 2D, 1R
1934
1935 22R, 11D 96R, 55D
1936 Alf Landon/
Frank Knox (R) Red XN
1937 Lewis O. Barrows (R) 29R, 4D 124R, 27D 3R
1938
1939 31R, 2D
1940 Wendell Willkie/
Charles L. McNary (R) Red XN
1941 Sumner Sewall (R) 128R, 23D Owen Brewster (R)[f]
1942
1943 32R, 1D 136R, 15D
1944 Thomas E. Dewey/
John W. Bricker (R) Red XN
1945 Horace Hildreth (R) 31R, 2D
1946
1947 30R, 3D 126R, 25D
1948 Thomas E. Dewey/
Earl Warren (R) Red XN
1949 Frederick G. Payne (R) 28R, 5D Margaret Chase Smith (R)
1950
1951 31R, 2D 126R, 24D, 1I
1952 Burton M. Cross (R) Dwight D. Eisenhower/
Richard Nixon (R) Green tickY
1953 Nathaniel M. Haskell (R) 127R, 24D Frederick G. Payne (R)
1954 Burton M. Cross (R)
1955 Edmund Muskie (D) 27R, 6D 119R, 32D
1956
1957 25R, 8D 100R, 51D 2R, 1D
1958
1959 Clinton Clauson (D) 21R, 12D 94R, 57D Edmund Muskie (D) 2D, 1R
1960 John H. Reed (R) Richard Nixon/
Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R) Red XN
1961 30R, 3D 113R, 38D 3R
1962
1963 29R, 5D 110R, 41D Stanley R. Tupper (R) Clifford McIntire (R)
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson/
Hubert Humphrey (D) Green tickY
1965 29D, 5R 80D, 71R William Hathaway (D)
1966
1967 Kenneth M. Curtis (D) 24R, 10D 95R, 56D Peter Kyros (D)
1968 Hubert Humphrey/
Edmund Muskie (D) Red XN
1969 18R, 14D 85R, 66D
1970
1971 80R, 71D
1972 Richard Nixon/
Spiro Agnew (R) Green tickY
1973 22R, 11D 79R, 72D William Hathaway (D) William Cohen (R)
1974
1975 James B. Longley (I) 19R, 14D 91D, 59R, 1I David F. Emery (R)
1976 Gerald Ford/
Bob Dole (R) Red XN
1977 21R, 12D 89D, 62R
1978
1979 Joseph E. Brennan (D) 19R, 13D, 1I 77D, 73R, 1ID William Cohen (R) Olympia Snowe (R)
1980 George J. Mitchell (D) Ronald Reagan/
George H. W. Bush (R) Green tickY
1981 17R, 16D 84D, 67R
1982
1983 23D, 10R 92D, 59R Jock McKernan (R)
1984
1985 24D, 11R 83D, 68R
1986
1987 Jock McKernan (R) 20D, 15R 86D, 65R Joseph E. Brennan (D)
1988 George H. W. Bush/
Dan Quayle (R) Green tickY
1989 97D, 54R
1990
1991 21D, 14R Thomas Andrews (D)
1992 Bill Clinton/
Al Gore (D) Green tickY
1993 20D, 15R 90D, 61R
1994
1995 Angus King (I) 18R, 16D, 1I 77D, 74R Olympia Snowe (R) Jim Longley (R) John Baldacci (D)
1996
1997 19D, 15R, 1I 81D, 69R, 1I Susan Collins (R) Tom Allen (D)
1998
1999 20D, 14R, 1I 79D, 71R, 1I
2000 Al Gore/
Joe Lieberman (D) Red XN
2001 17R, 17D, 1I[x] 88D, 62R, 1I
2002
2003 John Baldacci (D) 18D, 17R 80D, 67R, 3I, 1G Mike Michaud (D)
2004 John Kerry/
John Edwards (D) Red XN
2005 76D, 73R, 1I, 1G
2006
2007 90D, 59R, 2I
2008 Barack Obama/
Joe Biden (D) Green tickY
2009 20D, 15R 95D, 55R, 1I Chellie Pingree (D)
2010
2011 Paul LePage (R) 20R, 14D, 1I 78R, 72D, 1I
2012
2013 19D, 15R, 1I 89D, 58R, 4I Angus King (I)[y]
2014
2015 20R, 15D 78D, 68R, 5I Bruce Poliquin (R)
2016 78D, 69R, 4I 3 – Hillary Clinton/
Tim Kaine (D) Red XN
1 – Donald Trump/
Mike Pence (R) Green tickY[z]
2017 18R, 17D 77D, 73R, 1I
2018 74D, 70R, 6I, 1G
2019 Janet Mills (D) 21D, 14R 89D, 56R, 6I Jared Golden (D)
2020 3 – Joe Biden/
Kamala Harris (D) Green tickY
1 – Donald Trump/
Mike Pence (R) Red XN[z]
2021 22D, 13R 80D, 67R, 4I
2022
2023 81D, 68R, 2I
2024 3 – Kamala Harris/
Tim Walz (D) Red XN
1 – Donald Trump/
J.D. Vance (R) Green tickY[z]
2025 20D, 15R 76D, 73R, 2I
2026
Key to party colors and abbreviations for members of the U.S. Congress and other politicians or officials
Alaskan Independence (AKIP)
Know Nothing (KN)
American Labor (AL)
Anti-Jacksonian (Anti-J)
National Republican (NR)
Anti-Administration (AA)
Anti-Masonic (Anti-M)
Conservative (Con)
Covenant (Cov)
Democratic (D)
Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL)
Democratic–NPL (D-NPL)
Dixiecrat (Dix),
States' Rights (SR)
Democratic-Republican (DR)
Farmer–Labor (FL)
Federalist (F)
Pro-Administration (PA)
Free Soil (FS)
Fusion (Fus)
Greenback (GB)
Independence (IPM)
Independent Democrat (ID)
Independent Republican (IR)
Jacksonian (J)
Liberal (Lib)
Libertarian (L)
National Union (NU)
Nonpartisan League (NPL)
Nullifier (N)
Opposition Northern (O)
Opposition Southern (O)
Populist (Pop)
Progressive (Prog)
Prohibition (Proh)
Readjuster (Rea)
Republican (R)
Silver (Sv)
Silver Republican (SvR)
Socialist (Soc)
Union (U)
Unconditional Union (UU)
Vermont Progressive (VP)
Whig (W)
Independent (I)
Nonpartisan (NP)
  1. ^ Resigned to take appointment as a minister to negotiate a treaty with Spain.
  2. ^ a b Elected at-large on a general ticket.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g As president of the state Senate, filled unexpired term.
  4. ^ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.
  5. ^ a b c As speaker of the state House, filled unexpired term.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Resigned.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Died in office.
  8. ^ As president of the state Senate, filled unexpired term until his Senate term expired.
  9. ^ A Democrat, Nathan Clifford, was elected as Speaker.
  10. ^ A Democrat, Hannibal Hamlin, was elected as Speaker.
  11. ^ Won a close election, but Democrats challenged the election. He was finally declared the winner by the state Supreme Court and sworn in on January 19, 1838.
  12. ^ A Whig, Josiah S. Little, was elected as Speaker.
  13. ^ a b Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  14. ^ A Democrat, David Dunn, was elected as Speaker.
  15. ^ Resigned to take an elected seat as Governor.
  16. ^ a b Due to a constitutional change in when elected officials took office, legislators elected in 1850 had a two-year term.
  17. ^ A coalition of Whigs, Free Soilers, and Morrill Democrats elected Noah Smith Jr., a Whig, as Speaker, and organized the chamber.
  18. ^ A coalition of Republicans and Whigs elected Sidney Perham, a Republican, as Speaker, and organized the chamber.
  19. ^ A Democrat, Josiah S. Little, was elected as a minority-party Speaker.
  20. ^ Resigned to become Vice President of the United States.
  21. ^ A Democrat, Charles A. Spofford, was elected as a minority-party Speaker.
  22. ^ A coalition of Democrats, Greenbacks, and Independents supported Melvin P. Frank, a Democrat, as Speaker and organized the House.[2]
  23. ^ As president of the senate, filled unexpired term, and was later elected in his own right.
  24. ^ A power-sharing agreement was negotiated between the Democrats and Republicans, with a Democrat, Mike Michaud, becoming Senate President for one year in 2001, and a Republican, Rick Bennett, becoming Senate President for one year in 2002.
  25. ^ As Senator, King has consistently caucused with the Senate Democratic Caucus.
  26. ^ a b c The Democratic ticket received Maine's two at-large votes and one vote in the First Congressional District while the Republican ticket received one vote in the Second District.

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d King, Elizabeth (1933). The Progressive Movement of 1912 and Third Party Movement of 1924 in Maine. University of Maine Press.
  2. ^ Representatives, Maine Legislature House of (1879). Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Maine. p. 9.