The maine delegation

congressional officials …

Given its small size, Maine has difficulty proving its demographic diversity.  The delegation consists of members who have served multiple terms, the longest being the senior senator, Susan Collins.

Of the four 2022-2023 class members, two are female, and two are male. One delegation member is an attorney, while the other three are not.  One is also a Marine Corps veteran who served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The average tenure for the delegation is 4.5 terms, assuming everyone completes their service through the end of 2024. The longest-serving member has been in Congress since 1996.

Maine is also the first state to have elected members (Jared Golden) by ranked choice. Congressman Golden came in second in the first round of voting but was seated after his election was challenged in the courts and upheld on appeal.

When you look at these profiles, we have given each a letter grade for their effort this Congress, based on various factors, which you will find in What Is Thomas Looking For? These letter grades are probably pretty familiar to you if you have ever been a school student (we hope the answer to that is we all have!)

If you see a meager score for a particular member, it will probably be due to one or two key factors: ethics challenges or anti-democratic behavior.

• Republicans have been hit hard on their lack of pushback on former President Trump and their support of election denying in the 2020 presidential campaign. The unanswered soaring deficit on their watch, the dismantling of allied relationships around the globe, and opposition to funding anti-authoritarian initiatives. The denial of climate change weighs heavily on us as well. We make no secret that transparency and Government in the Sunshine are important to us, and we further argue that some have been awful stewards of this category. None of the Maine delegation members voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results on the same evening as Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol.

• Democrats have been hit hard for their lack of progress on key matters because they do control the United States Senate and have a razor-close margin in the U.S. House of Representatives. They have not been, in our opinion, innovative or necessarily insistent on finding rational, reasonable solutions to the problems plaguing the American public today. We want to see more and better.

• Both have been dinged for being too partisan and not collaborative where evident. In our opinion, being too doctrinaire or an obstructionist to good government in the 21st century does not get one a good grade from Thomas.

We also indicate what we believe might be the outcome of these Members’ 2024 elections today. Each of the House members was re-elected in 2022. One of the two United States Senators is up for re-election this season.

Our prospect ratings fall into three categories:

• Safe Bet - which means what it means. These members of Congress are running strong and look to be overwhelming prospects for re-election at this time. However, we reserve the right to re-categorize their chances if necessary.

• It’s A Race - means this race is too close to call, and we can not reasonably predict who will win this seat.

• Nudging - means the seat is leaning one way or another for this candidate. We have just a small number of current members of Congress in this category. Senator King is included since he has a race in 2024. Stay tuned!

So, would you like to meet these fascinating Mainers? If so, keep reading on!

what is thomas looking for?

There are no vulnerable races in Maine for Thomas to watch in 2024, except we will be tracking:

• ME02 - Angus King’s seat (Incumbent I)

the senators

United States Senator Susan collins (r)

Maine’s senior senator, Susan Collins, is a five-term member of the U.S. Senate having last been re-elected in 2020. She serves on the Appropriations Committee; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; and the Select Committee on Intelligence.   Married, Senator Collins is a graduate of St. Lawrence University.  A moderate Republican, Senator Collins has cast votes on the Trump impeachment and the Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court confirmations that drew fire from various quarters of the political world.

Thomas Take: Not Up for Re-Election in 2024

Thomas Rank: B

Website

United states senator angus king (I)

Maine’s junior senator is completing his second term in the U.S. Senate and has announced for re-election. A former Maine Governor from 1995 to 2003, Senator King is a long-time Independent, the first to hold a U.S. Senate seat in Maine.  King earned his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and his law degree from the University of Virginia.  Married and the father of five, Senator King serves on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the Rules Committee, and the Select Committee on Intelligence.  

Thomas Take: Safe Bet Independent

Thomas Rank: A

Website

the representatives