The mid-term elections are a week from tomorrow and Mainers (who haven't already voted absentee) will go to the polls to vote for candidates for Maine's U.S. Senate seat held by Angus S. King, Jr.; two seats in the U.S. House; Governor; and all 186 seats in the 129th Maine Legislature.  Voters also will consider referendum questions and bond proposals in addition to local issues.

The MMA is excited with the level of engagement in the public policy debate and one example of the high level of engagement is eight physician candidates for the new legislature.  Three of the physician candidates are incumbents.  The senior member of the “physician caucus” is Senator Geoffrey Gratwick, M.D. (D–Senate District 9, Bangor & Hermon) and he is a retired rheumatologist serving his third term in the Senate who sits on the Environment & Natural Resources Committee.  The two physician members of the Maine House are Representative Patricia Hymanson, M.D. (D–House District 4, Ogunquit and parts of Wells, York, & Sanford) and Representative Heidi Brooks, M.D. (D–House District 61, part of Lewiston).  Representative Hymanson is a retired neurologist who serves as the House Chair of the Health & Human Services Committee and Representative Brooks is trained as a family physician and she sits on the Insurance & Financial Services Committee.  Both representatives are serving their second terms. 

Former Maine House member Linda Sanborn, M.D. is the Democratic challenger to Senator Amy Volk (R) in Senate District 30 in Cumberland County.  Ned Claxton, M.D. (D) is running against current Maine House Republican whip, Ellie Espling (R), in Senate District 20, a Senate seat in Androscoggin County vacated by Senator Eric Brakey (R), the Republican challenger to Senator King.  Richard Evans, M.D. is pursuing his second run as a Democrat for the House District 120 seat including Dover-Foxcroft and surrounding communities.  Patricia Nobel, M.D. is the Democratic candidate for House District 142, including Lincoln.  Ted Sussman, M.D. is the Democratic candidate for House District 145, including Houlton.  

 The MMA sends its best wishes to all the physician candidates on Election Day and urges all physicians to vote!

The outgoing 128^th Legislature has a very close partisan division, so control of both chambers of the legislature could "go either way."  The Senate is composed of 18 Republicans and 17 Democrats.  The House of Representatives includes 73 Democrats, 70 Republicans, 1 Green Independent, 5 Independents, and 1 Common Sense Independent. 

In addition to the candidates for the 129^th Legislature, the MMA is also concerned about the impact that November’s ballot initiative Question 1 may have on physician recruitment and retention. The “Universal Home Care Program” will create a program to provide home based assistance to the elderly and people with disabilities funded by a new 3.8% tax on adjusted gross income of individuals and families earning more than $128,400.

You can find the General Election information on the web here.