U.S. House, Maine - 1st District
South -- Portland, Augusta
Race Forecast: Democrat Favored
2008: Chellie Pingree (D) vs. Charlie Summers (R)
2006: Rep.
Charlie Summers, the Republican nominee in this district which takes in Portland and Augusta, is not short of optimism. But he still appears to be the underdog in a race to take over the seat that six-term Allen left open this year to challenge Republican Sen.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Chellie Pingree, D
- First Elected: 2008 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2002 (41.56%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Democrat Favored
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
Covering Maine’s southern tip, the 1st boasts both rural oceanfront property and high-paying jobs. Residents of the state’s largest city, Portland, continue to move into outlying areas, bringing single-family homes to once-uninterrupted forests and farmland.
The technology boom that spread north from Boston during the 1990s has slowed, but software jobs continue to offset manufacturing and textile plant closures. Health care, financial services and insurance firms are here, and Interstate 95 offers a straight shot between the district and Boston for both commuters and seasonal residents, who tend to live on the coast. Tourism is important in the lower part of the state, as residents from across New England and Canada head to popular beaches and shopping areas, including the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, which is open 24 hours a day and has more than 3 million annual visitors.
The military’s influence is strong in the 1st. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard escaped the 2005 BRAC round, but Brunswick Naval Air Station was ordered closed by 2011. The Pentagon will stagger the job losses over the next few years, but the economic effects, such as a drop in the area’s housing prices, may be immediate.
The district’s traditional Yankee Republican tendencies have given way to a solidly Democratic voting preference in federal elections. In 2004, the 1st favored John Kerry by 12 percentage points. Republicans still find some support at the state and local levels, especially in York County towns. In the 2006 gubernatorial election, Democrat John Baldacci ran 14 percentage points ahead of his GOP challenger in both Cumberland and York counties — the district’s two most-populous — which was 6 points better than his 8 percentage point win statewide.
Major Industry
Military shipbuilding, financial services, technology, tourism
Military Bases
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, 95 military, 3,900 civilian (2007); Brunswick Naval Air Station, 2,880 military, 395 civilian (2005)
Cities
Portland, 64,249; South Portland, 23,324; Biddeford, 20,942
Notable
Portland businessman Neal Dow, the “father of prohibition,” helped push through the 1851 “Maine Law,” which banned the sale of liquor in Maine.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 637,450
- Under 18: 23.9%
- Over 65: 13.9%
- Married: 57%
- Non-Hispanic White: 96%
- Black: 1%
- Hispanic: 1%
- Asian: 1%
- Foreign Born: 3%
- Language other than English: 6.7%
- Median Household Income: 42,044
- Owner Occupied Housing: 70.8%
- Income above $200k: 1.8
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 61%
- Blue Collar: 24.1%
- Services: 14.4%
- Bachelor's Degree: 28%
- Graduate Education: 9.8%
- Civilian Veterans: 76,789
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Chellie Pingree (D) | 195,872 | 55% |
| Charlie Summers (R) | 160,182 | 45% | ||
| 2006 | general | Tom Allen (D) | 170,949 | 60.8% |
| Darlene Curley (R) | 88,009 | 31.3% | ||
| Dexter Kamilewicz (I) | 22,029 | 7.8% | ||
| 2004 | general | Tom Allen (D) | 219,077 | 59.7% |
| Charlie Summers (R) | 147,663 | 40.3% | ||
| 2002 | general | Tom Allen (D) | 172,646 | 63.8% |
| Steven Joyce (R) | 97,931 | 36.2% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 55% | George W. Bush: 43% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 50% | George W. Bush: 43% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COTE, ADAM ROLAND (D) | July 24, 2008 | $660,471.00 | $660,470.00 | $3,000.00 | $578,787.00 | ||
| PINGREE, CHELLIE M (D) | November 24, 2008 | $2,209,565.00 | $2,168,998.00 | $20,000.00 | $1,981,091.00 | $40,565.00 | $75,118.00 |
| CURLEY, DARLENE J. (R) | June 30, 2007 | $3,999.00 | $43,500.00 | ||||
| SUMMERS, CHARLES E JR (R) | November 24, 2008 | $657,273.00 | $641,998.00 | $31,000.00 | $575,367.00 | $15,286.00 | $77,741.00 |
| BRENNAN, MICHAEL F (D) | November 28, 2008 | $271,642.00 | $271,640.00 | $259,781.00 | $3,915.00 | ||
| ALLEN, THOMAS H (D) | November 24, 2008 | $5,998,148.00 | $6,379,062.00 | $4,968,521.00 | $120,932.00 | ||
| KAMILEWICZ, DEXTER J (I) | September 30, 2008 | $35.00 | $35.00 | $35.00 | $683.00 | ||
| LAWRENCE, MARK (D) | September 30, 2008 | $461,140.00 | $448,865.00 | $459,788.00 | $12,273.00 | ||
| MEISTER, STEPHEN JOSEPH MD (D) | June 20, 2008 | $117,131.00 | $120,123.00 | $68,544.00 | |||
| SCONTRAS, DEAN P (R) | September 30, 2008 | $388,905.00 | $387,631.00 | $283,460.00 | $101.00 | $82,259.00 | |
| STRIMLING, ETHAN K (D) | September 30, 2008 | $642,873.00 | $637,247.00 | $608,037.00 | $5,625.00 | $30,000.00 | |
