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Eves Makes it Official: He's Running for Governor

Robert F. Bukaty
/
Associated Press/file
Mark Eves, just after he was elected speaker of the Maine House, chats in the House Chamber Nov. 15, 2012, at the State House in Augusta.

Two-time former Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves formally launched his bid to become Maine's next governor during a campaign event at his home in North Berwick Thursday night.

Eves frequently clashed with Republican Gov. Paul LePage prior to leaving office last year, but he told a crowd of supporters that Mainers needed to band together to fix the state's problems.

Eves' announcement speech from his back deck lasted little more than six minutes.  But the brevity did not omit the man who has arguably elevated Eves' profile.

"As you know, I'm not Gov. LePage's favorite person. We have gone at it a time or two," Eves said.

"That's why you're our favorite person!" a man in the crowd yelled back.

Eves rose to become speaker five years ago following two terms of relative obscurity in the House.

He’s now the fifth Democrat to enter the race and the tenth candidate overall.  And while neither Eves nor the others are facing the termed-out LePage next year, each of the Democrats are campaigning against the Republican governor's combative and polarizing two terms in office.  

On Thursday, Eves' call for unity attempted to link the divide in Augusta with the one facing the country. "Sometimes you'd think that our one nation has split in two," he said. "Some on one side of the divide, some on the other. And there's no in between. And there are those that have taken advantage of that. Some even thrive on it."

Eves became speaker just shy of his 36th birthday. His clashes with LePage started over policy, specifically the Democrat's aggressive bid to expand Maine's Medicaid program through the Affordable Care Act.

But by 2015, the rivalry got personal. The governor threatened to yank state funding from a private nonprofit after it hired Eves as its executive director.

LePage's pressure on Good-Will Hinckley prompted the nonprofit to rescind its job offer to Eves. Eves sued the governor, but received no relief in federal court. 

The battles didn’t end there. Now Eves is running to replace his biggest political foe.

He opened his campaign with a message of unity. But the family therapist, son of a public school teacher and retired military chaplain appears to believe the governor's reputation for divisiveness can bolster his own bid for the Blaine House.

 

 

Journalist Steve Mistler is Maine Public’s chief politics and government correspondent. He is based at the State House.