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Mills outraises LePage, but he has more money left

In Maine, incumbent Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, left, and former Republican Gov. Paul LePage will face off for the 2022 election for governor.
Robert F. Bukaty
/
AP
In Maine, incumbent Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, left, and former Republican Gov. Paul LePage will face off for the 2022 election for governor.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills continues to raise more money than her opponent this November, former Republican Gov. Paul LePage. But despite the fundraising deficit, LePage appeared to have more money left to spend as Maine’s gubernatorial campaign entered the final two-week stretch.

According to her campaign, Mills raised $716,991 between Sept. 21 and Oct. 25. LePage, by comparison, reported raising $289,118 during the same reporting period, according to his campaign filing with the Maine Ethics Commission. That is consistent with the trend throughout this race between the two long-time rivals. To date, Mills has reported receiving roughly $5.5 million in contributions to her campaign compared to $2.5 million donated to LePage.

But LePage had more money on hand on Mills headed into the final weeks. The Republican, who is seeking a third, non-consecutive term in the Blaine House, reported $872,193 left to spend as of October 25 versus the $315,497 in cash on hand reported by the Mills campaign. It’s also notable that LePage has been significantly outspent by opponents in both of his two previous successful bids for governor in 2010 and 2014.

The third candidate on the ballot, independent Sam Hunkler, is apparently sticking to his pledge to spend less than $5,000 on his campaign.

As expected headed into the hotly contested election, spending by the two leading candidates pales in comparison to how much outside money is pouring into the race. According to the Maine Ethics Commission, which enforces Maine’s campaign finance laws, independent expenditures had topped $16.5 million as of late-October and are expected to grow through Election Day as the national parties and outside groups attempt to bolster their candidates in the race.