PORTLAND, Maine — It is a big week in Maine politics, with Super Tuesday and the presidential primary this week. From an interview with Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to the ongoing race between Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump, our analysts weigh in.
Bellows ahead of primary election
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows joined us at the table for this week's Political Brew to talk about Super Tuesday.
ZACH: "I know a lot of people have already voted absentee, but are you expecting a decent turnout [at the polls]?"
SEC. BELLOWS: "It's surprising to me. Turnout seems to be very low. Perhaps that's because it's a presidential primary where there's a lot of consensus around leading candidates. We have not seen a lot of turnout, but it's not too late. Show up on Tuesday."
ZACH: "This is the first time that semi-open primaries will be used, which essentially allows an unenrolled voter to vote for a party of their choice. Is there some confusion around this?"
SEC. BELLOWS: "There certainly is some confusion. There are some voters who think that they are independent or they think they're not affiliated with the party. But perhaps 10 years ago, 15 years ago, they did in fact sign up as a Democrat or Republican. [In] one area of confusion, sometimes people are Green Independents. That's a party in Maine, the Green Independent Party, and they think, 'Oh, I'm an independent. I can vote in whatever primary I want.' If you're in a party, you can only vote in that party's primary."
ZACH: "The other big question is surrounding Donald Trump's ballot eligibility. There's still no decision by the U.S. Supreme Court here. His name is technically on the ballot. Should Trump voters feel like their vote still counts here?"
SEC. BELLOWS: "Absent a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, noting that Mr. Trump is disqualified from the ballot at this point in time, Mr. Trump's votes will be counted on Tuesday evening."
Super Tuesday and the presidential race
Nikki Haley is set to make a quick campaign stop in Portland on Sunday despite some tough odds against former President Donald Trump.
ZACH: "A question a lot of people are asking is, 'Why is she still in the race?'"
BJ: "Yeah, it's a good question. You know, I think a lot of candidates try to make it to Super Tuesday to change the narrative and hopefully pick up states. She would have to make a lot of progress on Super Tuesday to be seen as a viable contender. I don't think many people see her that way. But right now, if nothing else, she's making a statement to say that there is an alternative to Donald Trump. I just don't think primary voters are going to buy it."
ZACH: "The University of New Hampshire released a poll last week showing only 19 percent of likely Republican voters in Maine say they would vote for Nikki Haley. Seventy-seven percent of those polled saying they would vote for Donald Trump on Super Tuesday. Do you think that's pretty accurate, Josh?"
JOSH: "I do. I think the great question, the mystery we're all trying to figure out, is why is Haley still in the race? I assume she thinks she's going to be the last woman standing, that if Trump falters, she'll inherit the nomination. And I think that's borderline delusional. I don't think that's going to happen. I also think she may be auditioning for the No Labels ticket. This way she can stay in the primary. She can raise her name profile, raise money without actually having to make that decision to go over to the other side."
Democrats' gun proposals
With ongoing talks about gun reform in Augusta this week, Democratic leadership in the legislature introduced their own series of bills in response to the deadly Lewiston shootings. One would create a 24/7 mobile crisis response service. Other proposals ban physical modifications to make a semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun and create a 72-hour waiting period on all gun purchases.
ZACH: "BJ, it seems that [Gov. Janet Mills] and Democrats aren't really on the same page here."
BJ: "Well, what I would say is this is a legislative process. The governor has advanced her proposal and legislative Democrats have also advanced their proposals. But the folks missing from this equation are legislative Republicans. You know, there is a tragedy in Lewiston, and the legislature has a moral imperative to pass something in this legislative session. And these are reasonable requests that are being brought forward that would prevent future tragedies."
BJ: "Josh, will any of these actually have Republican support?"
JOSH: "Probably not, because they have nothing to do with the Lewiston shooting. The governor appointed a commission. The commission's job was to look into what happened, why it happened, and what we can learn from it. The commission is still investigating. Let the commission do its work. Let's find out what really happened in Lewiston and then we can come up with solutions."
ZACH: "It seems some Republicans are supportive of the mental health components here."
JOSH: "Yes, I think so. And I think a lot of people are supportive of that, but they're not supportive of waiting periods and other restrictions that have nothing to do with Lewiston and would only infringe on the gun rights of law-abiding Mainers."
BJ: "If I may, I mean, what I would say is 72-hour waiting periods is incredibly reasonable. When I go online and I order something on Amazon, I wait three days. There's no reason why you can't wait three days to get a weapon."
JOSH: "You wait three days because that's how long it takes to get there, not because the law requires you."
You can watch Political Brew every Sunday on The Morning Report at 6 a.m. You can also catch it any time on NEWS CENTER Maine+.