Peter Mills

By the time 2010 rolls around, it will have been 16 years since a republican has lived in the Blaine House. There is a long list of folks who would like to bring an end to that dry spell.

The Blaine House: Speculation is far and wide as to who will live here after 2010. Politicker photo.The list of those speculated to run for governor in 2010 is wide and far-reaching. During a special session Wednesday, PolitickerME had a chance to catch up with a number of state senators on the list.

When asked, most of them remained mum on their ambitions.

Gov. John Baldacci will be termed out, so the 2010 race will be for an open seat.

The closest thing to an admission from any state senator came from Sen. Peter Mills (R-Skowhegan).

“I probably will,” he said.

Qualifications for public financing in gubernatorial races will be put under the microscope Friday by the Maine Ethics Commission.

In 2006, five candidates ran for governor in the general election – a Republican, a Democrat, a Green and two Independents. Three ran under the Maine Clean Elections Act.

Since then, several bills have come before the legislature seeking to tighten restrictions on who can qualify for public financing in gubernatorial races. As a result, the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee asked the Ethics Commission to look at the issue and come back with recommendations by October of this year.

The commission will hold a public hearing on the issue Friday at 9 a.m. Click here for the hearing materials and the full information on the pending proposal.

I’m not sure, but I think the domain name scramble for Governor has begun, with the reservation of www.rowe2010.com and www.roweforgovernor.com.

First it was Senator Bill Diamond, then John Nutting and now Senator Nancy Sullivan has decided to test the waters in the “one vote makes a difference” side show that has plagued the 18-17 Senate.

UPDATED Apr. 2 at 9:30 p.m. with more details on the debate

The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday allowing Maine to participate in the National Popular Vote interstate compact. The bill will next go before the House for consideration.  read more »

PolitickerME asked six Republicans in the Legislature how they were feeling about the budget that passed. Responding in the video below: Senate Minority Leader Carol Weston, R-Montville; House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, R-Newport; Sen. Peter Mills, R-Cornville; Sen. Karl Turner, R-Cumberland, a member of the Appropriations Committee; Rep. Michael Vaughan, R-Durham; and Rep. John McDonough, R-Scarborough.

Just beneath the surface in the Maine Senate there is angst, and the cause is Senator Bill Diamond.

State Senator Kevin Raye will lead Rudy Giuliani’s campaign in Maine. Mitt Romney’s campaign also announced its steering committee this week.

The Giuliani camp announced their Maine leadership team today. Raye’s wife, Karen Raye, is the State Chair of Women for Rudy. She is also Maine’s Republican National Committeewoman.

Other members of the leadership team are:

A Democratic Skowhegan husband and wife team has come under scrutiny for possible misuse of almost $3,000 in Clean Elections funds.

Paul Hatch ran for State Senate in District 26, losing to Republican Peter Mills by 3,706 votes. His wife, Pamela Hatch, ran for House District 85, losing to Republican Donna Finley by 335 votes.

According to a memo from Jonathan Wayne, executive director of the state ethics commission, the Hatch’s couldn’t show proof of $2,973.54 of public funding between their campaigns.