House Editor David Wasserman writes: Even though redistricting preserved one smaller, more liberal southern district and one giant, more moderate northern district, there's a certain symmetry to Maine's two House races this year. Both Democratic Reps. Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Mike Michaud (ME-02) considered running for Senate when Sen. Olympia Snowe announced her retirement last month, but neither ultimately decided to take on Independent former Gov. Angus King. And while Republicans failed to recruit strong candidates against both in 2010, high-ranking term-limited GOP state senators are running against them in 2012.
The new map can be found here.
New District Baselines
ME-01: Chellie Pingree (D) – South: Portland, Augusta
Solid Democratic. Republicans may have missed their best shot at Pingree in 2010, when they failed to anticipate the coming wave and left the nomination to under-funded alternative energy businessman Dean Scontras, who got some late support but was hobbled by his Tea Party backing in a district that gave President Obama 61 percent of the vote in 2008. Pingree was not without her flaws; the Maine Republican Party hit
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