News from the Hancock County Republican Committee
December Meeting is a Holiday Party
Ellsworth - A holiday party at Jaspers Restaurant in Ellsworth replaced the monthly meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee. The participants enjoyed an evening of fine food and drink. After Supper, Phil Frederick auctioned gifts brought by the guests. Photograph by David W. Lind.
Phil Frederick auctioning wrapped gifts.
November Meeting Selects Officers
Trenton - The November meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee convened at the Acadia Christian School in Trenton on November 19 to elect officers per the committee bylaws. Members elected to officer positions are Chairman Eric White, Vice Chairman Steve Montague, Secretary Sandi Blanchette, Treasurer Gary Mosley, Finance Co-chair Gay Leach and Finance Co-chair Lourdes Wellington. Photograph by David W. Lind.
Newly elected/re-elected officers of the committee are, from left to right, Chairman Eric White, Vice Chairman Steve Montague, Finance Co-chair Gay Leach, Finance Co-chair Lourdes Wellington and Treasurer Gary Mosley. Re-elected Secretary Sandi Blanchette was not available for this photograph.
LePage Victory Rally
Waterville - The following photographs from the LePage election night rally are courtesy of Renee Trust. Congratulations to the Governor-elect! These pictures tell the story.
October Meeting features Jason Levesque
Ellsworth - The October 2010 meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee featured Jason Levesque, candidate for the United States Congress from the Second District of Miane, as the speaker. The meeting was at the China Hill restaurant in Ellsworth. Click here or on the photograph below to see a video of Jason's remarks on his first televised debate with his opponent.
Jason Levesque speaks at the meeting.
Members of the committee at the buffet.
Headquarters Open House
Ellsworth - The Hancock County Republican Committee held an open house at its headquarters on Saturday, October 2. There was plenty of food for all.
Headquarters Ribbon Cutting
Ellsworth - A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the Hancock County Republican Committee Headquarters at 3:00 PM, Sunday, September 19. Many candidates and visitors attended this ceremony that officially opened the new headquarters. The Honorable Brian Langley, candidate for the Maine Senate in District 28, had the honor of cutting the ribbon. Other candidates present were Jackie Spofford, candidate for the Maine House in District 36; Gay Leach, candidate for the Maine House in District 37; Mike Povich. candidate for the Maine House in District 38; Jim Gillway, candidate for the Maine House in District 41; Matt Foster, candidate for District Attorney and Janice Eldridge, candidate for County Treasurer.
The ribbon is cut.
Matt Foster and Jackie Spofford chat.
Attendees socialized with coffee and other refreshments.
September 2010 Meeting Campaign Discussions
Ellsworth - The September meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee concentrated on discussions of current campaigns. However, the first order of business after acceptance of reports was a reading of a tribute to the late Phil Shea as passed by the Maine Legislature.
The Honorable Brian Langley read the legislative tribute to Phil Shea.
Following a series of announcements, the members broke into two groups by Maine Senate districts to discuss the current campaigns.
Brian Langley discussed his run for Maine Senate District 28.
The Honorable Richard Rosen talked with people in Maine Senate District 31 about his bid for re-election.
Gay Leach talked about her run for the Maine House in District 37.
Jackie Spofford explained her campaign for Maine House District 36.
Jim Gillway discussed his run for Maine House District 41.
A ribbon cutting ceremony at the new committee headquarters was announced for Sunday, September 19 at 3:00 PM.
Blue Hill Fair 2010
Blue Hill. The Hancock County Republican Committee booth at the Blue Hill fair was redesigned this year to be more welcoming and make better use of the area. Jason Levesque, candidate for the United States House from Maine's Second District, and other Republican candidates took advantage of our presence at the fair to greet fairgoers. Fair photographs courtesy of Renee Trust.
The Hancock County Republican Committee area at the 2010 Blue Hill Fair.
Beyond the entrance, a covered area provided shelter and an area to discuss politics. Gay Leach, candidate for the Maine House from District 37 (Blue Hill, Brooksville, Castine, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Surry), is seated to the far left and Matt Foster, candidate for District Attorney is standing in the center of this photograph.
Jason Levesque listens intently to a voter's concerns.
Jason Levesque and Gay Leach, candidate for the Maine House from District 37, tour the fair to greet voters.
For more pictures by Renee Trust of the 2010 Blue Hill Fair click on or go to the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/reneetrust444/HancockCountyRepublicansAtTheBlueHillFair2010.
August Meeting Bigger than Expected
Ellsworth - The August 2010 meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee was held at Jasper's Restaurant in Ellsworth the evening of August 20. Over twice as many people attended than was expected. The staff of Jasper's Restaurant rose to the occasion and the evening was a success.
Jason Levesque, candidate for the United States House of Representatives from Maine's Second District, took time from his grueling campaign schedule to join Hancock County Republicans for dinner. Besides the routine business, Phil Shea's daughter, Karen Shea Arkin, was elected to the committee to fill her late father's position. Bill Barker was elected State Committee Member-at-large to replace the position vacated by Bill Grindle. Doreen La Ferriere was also nominated for this position.
Jason Levesque, candidate for the United States House from Maine's Second District, listens intently to the proceedings.
Doreen La Ferriere speaks to the committee.
Bill Barker explains his positions.
The July Meeting Concentrates on County Candidates
Ellsworth - The July meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee was held in the Ellsworth City Hall on Friday, July 16 at 7:00 PM. After routine business, four people spoke. Dr. Bill Beardsley expressed the need for party unity. Janice Eldridge, unopposed candidate for County Treasurer, talked about her run for office. Julie Curtis, unopposed candidate for re-election as Registrar of Deeds, expressed her support for other candidates. Matt Foster spoke on the reasons he is running for District Attorney.
Young and old gathered before the meeting.
The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
 Bill Beardsley, Not a Candidate |
 Janice Eldridge, Candidate for County Treasurer |
 Matt Foster, Candidate for District Attorney |
 Julie Curtis, Candidate for Registrar of Deeds |
Click on one of the above photographs of our speakers at the July 16, 2010 meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee to see a video of that person's remarks. One of these videos is over eight minutes long and may take a few minutes to download. They should display in your default video viewer. However, some Internet browsers may require you to open a file or give permission to play a file.
The Bar Harbor Independence Day Parade
Bar Harbor - The Hancock County Republican Committee had a presence in the Bar Harbor Independence Day Parade on July 3, 2010. Surry Republicans also made their presence known in Bar Harbor.
Hancock County Republican Committee vehicles were near the beginning of the parade.
Brian Langley, candidate for State Senate, District 29, greeted voters in Bar Harbor.
Supporters of Brian Langley are shown here on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor.
A Very Busy Meeting
Ellsworth - The June meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee had an ambitious agenda. Once again, the auditorium of the Ellsworth City Hall was filled with enthusiastic Republicans.
Even before the meeting began, the audience engaged in spirited discussions.
Nominations for Vice Chairman of the committee were taken. Steve Montague won the election by secret ballot. Candidate for United States Congress, House District 2 in Maine, Jason Levesque, spoke. You can see a video of his remarks by clicking HERE. This video is in MPEG-1 format and will appear in a new window using your default viewer. This file is over 100 MB and may take a couple of minutes to download. Local candidates were also given an opportunity to speak.
Chairman Eric White and Secretary Sandi Blanchette
The committee Chairman, Eric White, made some remarks about current activities. Jeff Cucci, a leader of the Tea Party Movement, explained the activities and policies of the Tea Party Movement. Liz Walker discussed the activities of the State Committee. A vote was taken to support the State Committee resolution concerning the Arizona immigration law. Eric discussed the need to support a headquarters, parades and other events to get our message out to the voters.
Another Standing Room Only Event
Ellsworth - The May meeting of the Hancock Republican Committee took place at the Ellsworth City Hall on Friday, May 21. Once again, the Ellsworth City Hall Auditorium was filled to capacity.
Audience at the May Meeting.
Before the guest speakers took the floor, the chairman of the Committee, Eric White, and the Committee secretary, Sandi Blanchette, conducted some routine business. The savings account was voted closed because of low interest rates on savings accounts and the money transferred to the checking account. A new committee vice chairman will be voted at the June meeting.
Eric White and Sandi Blanchette
The speakers for the evening were Bill Beardsley and Les Otten candidates for Governor of Maine. They gave a joint presentation. A two-minute twenty-five second video clip of this presentation can be viewed by clicking on the photograph of the candidates below. This video is in MPEG-1 format and will appear in a new window using your default viewer. This file is over 30MB and may take a couple of minutes to download. (Photographs and video by David Lind)
Les Otten and Bill Beardsley
Hancock County at the State Convention
Portland - Hancock County delegates again occupied the front rows center position at the biennial Maine Republican State Convention held at the Expo Center in Portland Maine, the home of the Red Claws basketball team, on May 7 and 8. Phil Shea's hard work obtaining ads for the convention program ensured the prime seating location. The delegates enjoyed rousing speeches by Senator Snowe and Senator Collins as well as speeches by prospective candidates. The convention made history by having the first televised gubernatorial debate from the convention floor of a Maine political party. The moderator of the debate, a television reporter, looked out at the crowd before the debate and remarked that there appeared to be about seven times as many people attending the debate than attended President Obama's speech a couple of weeks earlier in the same venue.
The County Caucus on May 8 elected Denis Blogett as State Committeeman, Elizabeth Walker as State Committeewoman and Bill Grindle as State Committee Member-at-large. Phil Shea and his wife Grace were elected Vice Presidents of the Convention.
A floor fight ensued at the convention over the platform. An entirely new platform written by about a dozen people from Knox County was adopted. Click here to read this platform.
Surry Event Features republican Candidates
Surry - Several Republican candidates for office gathered at a meeting on April 22 in the Surry Elementary School to debate and express positions. The candidates included Bill Beardsley, candidate for governor of Maine; Brian Langley, candidate for the Maine Senate in District 29; Madelyn “Gay” Leach and Jonathan Walden both candidates for the Maine House in District 37. The evening proved to be informative and spirited. All the photographs of this event were taken by Bette Britt and used by permission.
Bill Beardsley greets a voter.
Gay Leach makes a point.
Jonathan Walden listens to a voter's opinion.
Jonathan Walden and Brian Langley pose for a photograph together.
April Meeting Features Two Speakers
Ellsworth - Another large crowd attended the April meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee. Committee Vice Chairman, Eric White, announced that Mark Remick has resigned as Chairman for personal reasons. The secretary's report and treasurer's report were accepted. Delegates to the State Convention were advised that their participation in the county and district caucuses at the convention is very important. We are also planning increased participation in community events like parades and fairs.
Two candidates for governor of Maine, Steve Abbott and Matthew Jacobson, spoke at the meeting and answered questions. Short excerpts from their presentations may be viewed in your default video viewer by clicking on their photographs below. These videos are in MPEG-1 format and will appear in a new window. If you do not have a broadband connection, the video will require a few minutes to download. (Video clip and photographs by David Lind).
As members of the committee and the public gather, representatives of Matt Jacobson distribute campaign literature.
Participants receive campaign literature from the Steve Abbott supporters.
Matt Jacobson was the first speaker.
Steve Abbott speaks.
Standing Room Only at March Meeting
Ellsworth - The March 2010 meeting of the Hancock County Republican Committee attracted a crowd that exceeded the seating capacity of the Ellsworth City Hall meeting room. Brenda Breeding was elected Treasurer of the committee to replace Kathy Birdsall. Paul LePage, Mayor of Waterville and candidate for Governor of Maine, was the featured speaker. A short excerpt from Mr. LePage's speech can be viewed by clicking HERE. This video is in MPEG-1 format and will appear in a new window. If you do not have a broadband connection, the video will require a few minutes to download. (Video clip and photographs by David Lind).
Paul LePage was the featured speaker.
There was standing room only.
Mr. LePage answered numerous questions from the audience.
Lincoln Day Dinner Biggest in Years
Ellsworth - The annual Lincoln Day Dinner was held on February 19, 2010 in lieu of the usual Hancock County Republican Committee monthly meeting. Republicans packed the cafeteria of the Hancock County Technical Center on Boggy Brook Road, Ellsworth to celebrate Lincoln's life. They enjoyed baked fish, ham, beef, rice, potatoes, carrots and green beans catered by Jasper's Restaurant. Eric White was the master of ceremonies. Jason Levesque, Republican candidate for the United States Congress in Maine's Second Congressional District, read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Republican candidates for Governor of Maine read excerpts from Lincoln's speeches and writings. Tarren Bragdon, Chief Executive Officer of the Maine Heritage Policy Center was the keynote speaker. He spoke on "Lessons from Lincoln in Advancing Freedom in Today's America." During his presentation, Mr. Bragdon emphasized leadership, sacrifice and perseverance. A video clip of part of Mr. Bragdon's talk can be view by clicking HERE. This video is in MPEG-1 format and will appear in a new window. If you do not have a broadband connection, the video will require a few minutes to download. (Video clip by David Lind). To read Mr. Bragdon's speech in PDF format, click HERE.
Eric White, Vice Chairman of the Hancock County Republican Committee, presided dressed as Lincoln. (Photograph by David Lind)
Candidates and honored guests at the head table included, from left to right, Jason Levesque, Steve Abbott, Dr. William Beardsley, Matthew Jacobson, Eric White, Tarren Bragdon, Paul LePage, Les Otten and Bruce Poliquin. (Photograph by Jay Riley)
Discussions took place among audience members. (Photograph by David Lind)
Everyone received a name tag at check-in. (Photograph by David Lind)
The candidates had literature and petitions in the hallway. (Photograph by David Lind)
Senator Richard Rosen and the Honorable Kimberly Rosen check-in. (Photograph by Michael Povich)
The Boucher Brothers, Michael and Matthew, enjoy the event. (Photograph by Michael Povich)
Ken Shea and Holly share a humorous moment. (Photograph by Michael Povich)
George and Constance Henkel helped organize the event. (Photograph by Michael Povich)
Jason Levesque reads Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. (Photograph by Michael Povich)
Some of the crew from Jasper's pose for the camera. (Photograph by Michael Povich)
Some of the candidates that attended are shown above. (Photographs by Michael Povich and David Lind)
For the answer to the photographic collage question click HERE.
Paul Le Page to Speak in Hancock County
Surry - Republican candidate for governor, Paul Le Page, will be the featured speaker at the Surry Conservatives meeting on Sunday, January 31, at 2:00pm in the Surry Elementary School. The public is invited to attend. The Hancock County Republican Committee is providing this information as a service to inform Hancock County voters that Mr. Le Page will speak publically in Hancock County. This is NOT an endorsement of his candidacy by the committee.
January 2010 Meeting
Ellsworth - The Hancock County Republican Committee held its January 2010 meeting at the Ellsworth City Hall on Friday, January 15, 2010. The secretary's and treasurer's reports were accepted. Kathy Birdsall expressed the desire to resign as treasurer. A new treasurer will be elected at the February meeting. The fundraising position is also open. Nominations for these positions may be made at the February meeting or submitted to the executive committee before that meeting. The annual holiday auction was a great success and raised more than $500. The town caucus kits were available at the meeting. A caucus training session will be scheduled. Phil Shea made an appeal for more donations to the committee for the purpose of renting space for our campaign headquarters. The Sheas were thanked for their fundraising efforts. The candidates for public office at the meeting were introduced and allowed a brief statement.
Candidates from left to right are Gay Leach (Maine House District 37), Dr. William Beardsley (Governor) and Brian Langley (State Senate District 28). (Photograph by David Lind)
Candidates from left to right are J. Martin Vachon (Governor), Mike Povich (House District 38) and Peter Mills (Governor). (Photograph by David Lind)
The Honorable Peter Mills (Photograph by David Lind)
The speaker for the evening was Peter Mills, candidate for governor. Click HERE to see a brief video clip of his remarks. This video clip is in MPEG-1 format (Motion Picture Experts Group codex 1) and will appear in a new window. (Video clip by David Lind.)
The candidates had an opportunity to share information. (Photograph by David Lind)
Petitions were available for signatures. (Photograph by David Lind)
Candidates had petitions available for signature. Any registered Republican can sign nomination petitions for any and all Republican candidates that are running for offices in the registered voter's district. Any voter may contribute to Clean Election candidates running in their districts regardless of their party affiliation. Republicans were encouraged to sign as many petitions as applicable and contribute to Clean election candidates to ensure we have a full list of candidates in the primary election.