PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A Maine independent gubernatorial candidate is fighting to receive the public funds she is counting on, alongside over 200 legislative candidates.
Elections officials discussed next steps Wednesday. State treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Terry Hayes says over 5,500 voters contributed $5 to help her qualify for public funds.
An unintended error in Maine’s budget keeps candidates from receiving public funds after July 1. Also, Republican Gov. Paul LePage hasn’t signed financial orders to allow payments to publicly financed candidates this week.
LePage’s office didn’t immediately comment.
Typically, it costs up to $3 million for gubernatorial runs. Hayes has received $600,000.
House Republicans opposed to public financing offered to fix the error while temporarily withdrawing $3 million from the fund. An ethics official says doing so would drain the coffers by August.
