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DGA Statement on Maine Republican Primary

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Tonight, DGA Executive Director Elisabeth Pearson released the following statement on Maine’s Republican primary:
“Maine voters are ready to turn the LePage on the last eight years, but Shawn Moody stands for more of the same failed agenda that has hurt Maine’s families and small businesses. Moody has backed the entire LePage agenda from blocking access to healthcare to undermining quality education. The only time he’s broken with LePage is to be even more out of touch—like when he suggested fire extinguishers are an effective deterrent to school shootings.
“Maine is one of the DGA’s top pick up opportunities this cycle, and we look forward to winning back the state this fall.”
The DGA has targeted Maine as one of 8 initial targets for its Unrig The Map project, a zero-overhead fund to win targeted gubernatorial races that are key to 2021 redistricting.
For more on Maine Republicans’ frenzied campaigns to tie themselves to the unpopular LePage, click HERE.

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Background
Moody Said “He Would Continue” LePage “Era” in Maine. According to the Bangor Daily News, “LePage has not endorsed in the primary race, but Moody has hired some of the governor’s top political advisers and counts Paul and Ann LePage as signatories on his ballot access paperwork. He said LePage brought an era of accountability to Maine, which Moody said he would continue.” [Bangor Daily News, 2/26/18]
Ann LePage Endorsement Ad: Shawn Moody is “Like My Husband.” According to a Moody ad, “Ann LePage: I am so proud to endorse Shawn Moody as the next governor of the state of Maine. Like my husband, Shawn Moody is a proven job creator, he’s a businessman, and he will fight the wasteful spending so rampant in Augusta. Shawn will support the second amendment and I know Shawn will stand behind out veterans. And Shawn will support strong families and our values. We need Shawn Moody as the next governor of the state of Maine.” [Shawn Moody, Ann LePage Endorsement, 6/1/18]
Bangor Daily News Headline: “Shawn Moody Launches GOP Gubernatorial Bid Run by LePage Insiders.” [Bangor Daily News, 11/21/17]
Moody Said Schools were “Overfunded.” At a January 2018 GOP Debate, Moody was asked, “Do you think Maine schools are adequately funded?” He responded, “They are overfunded, we need to get them to be more efficient and more effective.” [Maine GOP Debate, 1/31/18]
Moody Said He Opposed Medicaid Expansion and Would Oppose Funding It. According to the Portland Press Herald, “Moody said he didn’t support the expansion and would oppose funding it with any methods that involved raising taxes or taking from the state’s so-called ‘rainy day’ savings account. All of the candidates, including Moody, pointed to the state’s past experience with expansions of the health care program, noting it often caused gaping state budget shortfalls and left the state saddled with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt to hospitals that provided care to MaineCare recipients. ‘We’ve been down that road before,’ Moody said, ‘and it didn’t work.’” [Portland Press Herald, 5/14/18]
Moody Said Teachers Should Fight Off School Shooters with Fire Extinguishers, “Grab That Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher and Spray It Towards Somebody and I’ll Tell You Right Now That Could Put Them To Their Knees.” According to the Portland Press Herald, “A Republican candidate for governor in Maine was drawing national media attention Tuesday for telling a Maine radio show this week that public school staff could use fire extinguishers to disable a would-be school shooter. Shawn Moody, of Gorham, the founder of Moody’s Collision Centers, made the comments to Bangor-based WVOM radio station host Ric Tyler on Monday. ‘This is a common-sense thing I want everybody to hear,’ Moody said. ‘When you think about little common-sense things, practical things, we could do right now, there are fire extinguishers, dry chemical fire extinguishers, in every commercial building, school, and almost within 100 feet of wherever you are, and a fire extinguisher can be a great deterrent if somebody gets out of control or if anything happens, a teacher, anybody could break that glass, set the alarm off, grab that dry chemical fire extinguisher and spray it towards somebody and I’ll tell you right now that could put them to their knees.’” [Portland Press Herald, 3/6/18]