AUGUSTA, ME – Maine GOP Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas released the following statement regarding Governor Paul LePage announcing his run for Governor:

“We are absolutely thrilled that Governor Paul LePage is back and running to unseat Janet Mills,” said Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas. “As the only credible candidate running for the Republican nomination at this time, we are fully behind him. While Governor LePage was running our state we saw historic prosperity for Maine families, including more jobs, higher wages, all-time lows in unemployment, and a sustainable budget that allowed our state to grow. A stark difference to the Maine we see today.”

“Now more than ever Maine needs a proven leader. A leader that will reel in the out of control spending and radical agenda in Augusta to get our state back on track. A leader that actually listens to the people of our state, not their party leaders in Washington. Simply put, Maine needs Governor Paul LePage.”

Did you see the news that Janet Mills is paying folks on unemployment to up to $1,500 of taxpayer dollars just to go back to work?

That’s right, despite the majority of Maine businesses in desperate need of workers, Janet Mills feels the need pay people to go back to work.

Sounds crazy right? That’s because it is. For nearly a year, workers who were laid off due to the pandemic received “advanced unemployment benefits”, giving them an extra $300 per week in their unemployment checks. Now as nearly all Maine businesses are desperately looking for workers just so they can operate, these benefits are continuing, resulting in Mainers on unemployment not wanting to return to work.

For anyone who has traveled anywhere in Maine, you know that nearly every place from Kittery to Fort Kent is hiring. I’ve spoken to businesses who can’t even open because they can’t get workers off the couch and into the workplace because they can’t compete with the “free money” being shelled out by Janet Mills.

The short and long term impacts of this botched recovery will be severe, and the need to pay abled bodied Mainers $1,500 just to show up to work is creating a dangerous culture here in Maine and promoting living on the dole.

To all the Mainers who worked through the pandemic, or who went back to work as soon as they could, Republicans appreciate you. You deserve better than a Governor who is spending your hard-earned money like this as she continues to botch our recovery.

If you think this is as crazy as we do, make your voice heard. Go to NEWS CENTER’s post asking Mainers about what they think of this outrageous plan and let them know what you think.

AUGUSTA – Maine GOP Chair Doctor Demi Kouzounas released the following statement regarding Governor Greg Abbott and Governor Doug Ducey’s letter to all U.S. Governors:

“The Biden-Harris administration has been a complete failure with handling the crisis at the southern border,” said Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas. “While Biden’s ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris refuses to even visit the border, Governors along the border are desperately fighting to keep their states, citizens, and our country safe. Governor Abbott and Governor Ducey’s letter is a plea to the rest of the country to finally take this issue seriously.”

“With each passing day we reach new highs of illegal immigrants, drugs, and guns crossing our border. If the Biden administration and the federal government won’t keep us safe, it is up to each state to help. The Maine Republican Party is calling on Janet Mills to assist these states and play an active role in stopping this crisis and help keep America safe.”

BACKGROUND

• Illegal border crossings are now at a 21-year high, but Joe Biden and Kamala Harris continue to ignore the crisis they created at our southern border.
  • Despite this urgent crisis, Biden’s budget would cut border security funding – now is the time to empower the border security agents who keep us safe.
    
• U.S. intelligence officials are sounding the alarm that Biden’s open border policies are creating a terrorist threat.
• Harris is trying to hide her failures on the border from the public and the media – she has refused to hold a news conference on the topic, and still hasn’t visited the border herself since she was put in charge.
  
• Under the Biden Administration, thousands of illegal migrants are being flown across the country without photo ID and without negative COVID-19 tests.
  • Every adult American citizen who flies on commercial aircraft needs to show ID to board. Apparently, the same rules don’t apply to illegal migrants with Joe Biden in charge.
    
• Just a few months into this year, Customs and Border Protection has seized more deadly fentanyl at the southern border than they seized in all of 2020.
  • Border policy is a matter of life and death – tens of thousands of Americans die from fentanyl overdoses every year.
    
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported less than three thousand people in April – an all-time low – in spite of record numbers of illegal migrant encounters at the border.
  
• Biden and Harris inherited a strong and secure border from the Trump Administration and in less than 200 days in office, they have already reversed the progress of the past 4 years.

Rising inflation, taxes, hurting Maine families

AUGUSTA – Maine GOP Chair Doctor Demi Kouzounas released the following statement regarding news of rapidly rising inflation:
“With inflation surging Mainers are feeling the pinch,” said Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas. “Prices are going up everywhere, from groceries, to gas prices being the highest since 2014, and even used cars, everything Mainers are buying is getting more expensive. Janet Mills and company’s response, raise the cost of doing business in Maine.”

“Maine’s economy is lagging while prices continue to jump. As the Biden Administration works with Reps. Golden and Pingree to advance policies that drive up prices, Janet Mills and Democrats here at home are stifling Maine’s economy by bloating our state budget and passing the costs on to you.”

“Sheltered politicians like Mills and Golden may not notice a five percent hike across the board in living expenses, but families, elderly, and fixed income Mainers do. Unless Mainers stand up and retake power in this state, we are headed toward economic catastrophe.”

BACKGROUND

A recent report shows the national Consumer Price Index rose 5% in the last year.

At the same time, a WalletHub report covered by MaineBiz ranks Maine’s economic recovery among the worst in the nation, all while Governor Janet Mills and her legislative allies work to increase the pain, cost and regulation of Maine businesses.

Across the state, Republicans won targeted local seats

AUGUSTA – Following a highly successful evening in targeted local elections, Maine GOP Chair Doctor Demi Kouzounas and Maine GOP Executive Director Jason Savage released the following statement.

“Now more than ever, it is critical that the good people of Maine fight to take back control of their local school boards and town councils,” said Doctor Kouzouas. “Last night is a testament that hard work, common sense and traditional values can, and will, win in Maine.”

“Our award-winning get-out-the-vote team worked hard in targeted races up and down the state to ensure voters turned out to reclaim their power at the local level,” said Jason Savage.

In races the Maine GOP targeted, the endorsed candidate won more than 85% of the time.

“This Maine GOP team does not exist only to win races for US Senate or Governor, but to assist all Republicans up and down the ticket. This party belongs to all of us. We must never lose sight of that, and we all need to work to stand up to the radical agenda of the left. Our children and our future depend on it,” said Doctor Kouzounas.

Are you a Republican who won a municipal election last night? We would love to hear about it! Please email Jack at [email protected]

Are you a Republican who is running, or wants to run for a municipal office in the future? Let us know at this form: https://mainegop.com/runforoffice/

Democrats to replace removed Republican legislators

AUGUSTA, ME — Maine Republican Party Executive Director, Jason Savage, released the following statement regarding Republican legislators being stripped of their of committee assignments for not wearing masks in the Maine State House:

“Someone may want to tell Speaker Ryan Fecteau that all Mainers have a right to a voice in Augusta, not just the ones who agree with him,” said Executive Director Jason Savage. “It is absolutely abhorrent that Maine Democrats would strip Republican communities of their voice in Augusta simply for showing up to work and doing their job.”

“Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Democrats have done everything they can to maintain complete control over our state. From blocking public input, to forcing mandates on Mainers, to shutting down our state, the people of Maine have had no voice. Now, just as they began to regain their voice in Augusta, Democrats have blocked dozens of Maine communities out of the political process, all over petty political games.”

“Mainers have a right to be heard and represented in Augusta, and that voice shouldn’t be removed simply for asking questions or opposing someone’s views. Speaker Ryan Fecteau and the Democrats in the State House should be embarrassed.”

Contact Speaker Ryan Fecteau NOW and tell him to restore these Republicans back to their committees.

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