The Maine Democratic Party yesterday blasted former LePage DHHS chief and current Republican gubernatorial candidate Mary Mayhew for touting the endorsements of some of the most extreme members of the GOP House caucus, including folks like Representatives John Picchiotti, Karl Ward, and Jeff Pierce who have long histories of making racist and anti-Muslim posts on social media.
“When Mary Mayhew said she was ‘pleased’ to have the endorsements of people who oppose the rights of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and who want to boot Muslims out of the country, I was appalled,” MDP Executive Director Katie Mae Simpson said in a release. “Then I thought about the lesson that I, like most Maine people, was taught growing up: who you surround yourself with says a lot about you. By proudly accepting and trumpeting these endorsements, Mary Mayhew has shown very clearly that she is just another extreme partisan in the mold of Paul LePage and that she will seek to further divide the people of our state instead of bringing us together to solve the problems we face.”
In a way, the criticism from May is a sad anachronism. A couple years ago, these kinds of public comments would prompt widespread media coverage, condemnation by Republican Party officials and the loss of official positions. Now, in the era of Trump and LePage, support from these figures is apparently something you showcase in a Republican Primary campaign.
For those of us who still care, it’s an important reminder of who Mayhew is, the kind of campaign she’s running and the kind of administration she would helm.
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