It was another busy week in politics. Our analysts discussed a state lawmaker missing over half the session, the Republican candidates for CD1, and Nikki Haley said she is supporting former President Donald Trump.
Republican absences
According to a report by the Portland Press Herald, first-term Durham Republican Rep. Joseph Galletta missed 67 percent of legislative session days this year. Galletta missed more days than any other member of the House. He has yet to explain why he didn't attend despite all of the absences being excused. Now, he's seeking a second term.
ZACH: "Republican leadership, is defending him here, saying that he's a hard worker. Is there concern though?"
GARRETT: "I mean, I think they're absolutely right to defend him and Representative Galletta, I know him. He is a hard worker. He has a small business that he operates in south Paris. And I think this really does reflect on the fact that the legislature and the way that it operates was built for a different time. If you look at the structure and the composition of the legislature, you don't have a lot of people. You know, right now it's millennials who are represented in the legislature. They were for a while. I was one of those young millennial legislators when I was younger, but I was able to do it then. I didn't have a family and a child at home to take care of. You know, when you get to a certain place in life, it's just harder to make commitments like this. And I think that means that the legislature needs to change. I have been a loud and vocal opponent for a full-time legislature similar to that of Texas with a short session and a long working here. I think if you made some of those changes, they wouldn't have to make tough decisions like this."
KEN: "I don't buy it at all. Inexcusable if you can't go to the sessions, don't run for office. I'm sure that my friend here when he was in the legislature, managed to make the sessions which he committed to his people. And by the way, his committee meetings made zero. You could Zoom in. Anybody can Zoom. And this is a new day and age. So I I've criticized leadership for rubberstamping their granting these absences on both sides. It's inexcusable if you can't make the sessions, don't run for office, period."
ZACH: "Genius, at the end of the day that we want people who represent everyday working Mainers in office. Right?"
GENIUS: "Absolutely. I think it is critical. So it takes me to when I was doing research for the Maine Black Future podcast episode five, learning about Gerald Talbot, really going deep on him and his family. And I just realize how perfect he was to be a citizen legislator at that time in the seventies when he was that made that legendary move. And so when I compare that the perfection of a person who's really poised to bring a powerful perspective to help make these legislative decisions, draw up bills being absent 67 percent of the time does not allow your powerful perspective to adequately influence what's going on. That's a miss. I can't say it's a win. I want citizen legislators. I think it's powerful. You can't just have people who know nothing about, as they say, being boots on the ground. But 67 percent is not being there enough. It's being absent."
CD1 race
With just weeks to go until the June primary. Republicans Andrew Piantidosi and Ron Russell are looking to challenge Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. Both candidates face a tough path to victory. Neither has political experience. Piantadosi is a 37-year-old father of two from Cape Elizabeth with a job in tech sales. Russell is a retired Army Green Beret and defense contractor who grew up in the county and now lives in Kennebunkport. While Russell is a staunch conservative and supporter of former President Trump, Piantidosi hopes to court more moderate Republicans and even independents come June.
ZACH: "Garrett, Who do you expect to succeed come June?"
GARRETT: " I think it's anybody's game. I've said this on the show before. I think there's a lot of people, a lot of the electorate that thinks that the primary is already over because we had a presidential primary in March of this year. So I think I think that's a factor. I also think that the fact that independents can vote and that there is no Democratic primary on the ballot, independents might want to come out and cast a ballot for one of these gentlemen. So I really don't know. There's not a ton of polling out there on the race, you know. Andrew Piantidosi has been out, I think, a little bit longer than Ron Russell has. So he might have a little bit more name ID. But I mean, the bottom line is this whoever comes out on top is going to have to have a...it's going to be a tough race. It means the first district is not necessarily Republican-friendly. And so I think the last one who put on a really good show there was Dean Scontras back well over ten years ago now.
ZACH: "Genius, on the issues though, issues like the border and the economy is what both of these candidates are focused on is. Is that the right focus to win?"
GENIUS: "I do think that Republicans and conservative voters really do care a lot about the border. But I will say hearing about it being hyper-focused on I think it's particularly for moderates, it's a signal of...of less than honesty. And the reason I say that is that in the state of Maine, immigrants, migrants, all kinds of people are very important to Maine. But then also, we just don't have the experience to back up what a lot of people down south are saying, migrants and immigrants are doing. So for me, I noticed that one of, one of these candidates is I'm with Trump and he's really talking about it and one person is mentioning it, but not going so hard. I think for the moderates, they're not going so hard. We're in Maine. I'm from Texas. And it's a different issue in Texas. But migrants and immigrants in Maine help us economically. All types of things...culturally. So our experience just isn't what people in Texas and Dallas offer screaming about. So I don't know. That's a good thing."
ZACH: "Ken, as Garrett mentioned, obviously the first district is known to be very liberal. Are they likely to pull out those voters from those more rural communities in the district?"
KEN: "It doesn't matter. Chellie Pingree is going to win. This is window dressing for the Republican Party. I'm sorry. Dean Scontras was a good viable candidate, strong personality, but doesn't matter. Chellie is going to win. I will say the interesting difference between these two candidates, I hate to say...it is age. You have one that certainly appears to be considerably more youthful. And in this day and age, what we're talking about, the age of the people running for president, I think that makes a difference. And I think I would be interested to see if the youth vote propels the younger of the candidates into office into that nomination."
Haley backs Trump
In the presidential race, there was big news from former Republican candidate Nikki Haley. She said she will, in fact back former President Donald Trump despite campaigning hard against him. Haley called President Biden a "catastrophe," but urged Trump to work hard to gain her supporters.
ZACH: "Are we shocked here?"
GARRETT: "I'm not shocked. I'm a little surprised. I'll be I'll be completely honest with you. I you know, Ambassador Haley put on a good campaign for the primaries considering what she was up against and former President Trump. But I...you know, I am a little surprised that she came out and said she was going to do it. She had a lot of people in the Republican Party who just they can't do it. They cannot pull the lever for Trump. And, you know, in four years, I do think that President Trump's going to get elected. You know, he's not going to be there. You know, he's termed out. So, like, you know, I think she's also realizing that if she wants to take another stab at this in four years, she's got to play nice. She might not win the president's favor, but she might be able to win some voters favor."
ZACH: "Ken, Can Trump actually win her voters, though?
KEN: "No, I don't think so. I think a lot of. Go to Robert Kennedy, which whether that's good or bad, it's it's going to affect one or both candidates. I think that's spot on that she's running for 2028. That was her overture for 2028. But let me tell you, her statements about Donald Trump will be played by Democratic advertisements every single day. And I think she gained a lot of traction by criticizing him and has set a base for the next race. I think she hurt herself coming out and doing anything except saying, I want to be the front runner for 2028. If Donald Trump doesn't run again and try to change the Constitution, which he will try to do."
GARRETT: "Oh come on, Ken."
KEN: "He'll try."
GENIUS: "I will try to be fair. Early on, you know, paying attention to what Nikki Haley was saying. And I liked a lot of what she was kind of talking about until she said a couple of things that really, really turn me off. So what I recognize about her kind of people who support her is that they've been drinking that juice, that Joe Biden is horrible and rancid. Right? Whether you believe it or not. So for that reason, although she can, you know, not endorse president or former President Donald Trump, not endorse him, but say I'm going to vote for him. I think there's some people that will say, okay, well, I know that Biden's horrible. So we believe so I'm going to go ahead, go Trump. But I think a lot of her people are going to not go for Trump because they were listening to what she said and they believed what she said. So, yeah, it was a move. I guess for me it's not that surprising because you've got to kind of make some hard decisions right now. But I think a lot of her people aren't going to just go to Trump."
GARRETT: "I don't think they were ever there. I mean, there was an entire...when in 2020, I have dear friends who I served with in the legislature, who are Republicans who went out and just could not vote for Donald Trump. And they endorsed Biden. They were always voting for Biden. So in my opinion, those folks were never there. So I don't think that there is ever, you know, this big sea change that needs to happen to bring Haley voters back. It's just it's just not there."
KEN: "They're more likely to stay home and not vote for anybody. That's what I think will happen."