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News and notes
Where you parade is where you run.
— Top-tier candidates paired up in two of Maine's biggest July 4 parades on Monday. Mills and Golden marched in Eastport. The Republicans, former Gov. Paul LePage and Poliquin, were in Bangor.
— Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats and may retire ahead of his term's end in 2024, stayed close to his Brunswick home in Bath. Collins has not given notice of a public event in the state since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
— Republican Ed Thelander, the longshot challenger to Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from Maine's 1st District, was in Sanford, at the heart of an area where his party needs to overperform during the 2022 elections.
Biden's approval rating continues to drop in Maine.
— New Civiqs polling shows the Democrat at 51 percent disapproval to 35 percent approval. That 16-point gap is the biggest one of his presidency so far. It is poised to be a major factor in the November elections.
— There is no bright side to this for Democrats, but it is worth noting that former President Donald Trump faced net disapproval gaps of 20 points or more during much of his presidency here in Civiqs polling. Collins survived that tide in 2020 and Maine Democrats may well need to do the same. |
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What we're reading
— Three years ago, Maine banned forever chemicals from packaging that touches food. But the law is lingering unimplemented, with advocates criticizing the state for not moving fast enough to switch to ready alternatives.
— The biggest sports betting platforms look to be sitting out Maine's sports betting expansion with the state providing less financial opportunity than others.
— Community colleges are seeing a wave of interest due to Mills' $20 million free-college program this year and next for Mainers graduating high school in 2020 through 2023.
— Here are the 500 projects valued at more than $900 million that Maine's congressional delegation wants to fund in the next round of earmarks.
— The Maine lawyer who argued for same-sex marriage thinks that hard-won right is secure despite a conservative shift on the U.S. Supreme Court.
— Minorities are less likely to own homes in Maine. A once-sleepy Bangor suburb is drawing newcomers. Here's why two couples from across the country are coming to Maine. These are the numbers that defined Maine's housing market in June. Read our coverage of real estate and housing. |
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| Bo-Bo, an Anah Shrine clown, shakes hands with Maddox McLamb, 8, as the July 4 parade makes its way down Main Street in Bangor on Monday. (BDN photo by Linda Coan O'Kresik) |
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| 📷 Lead photo: People participate in gun control rally in front of Portland City Hall on June 11, 2022. (AP photo by Jim Gerberich) |
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