FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 12, 2010
CONTACT: TED O’MEARA
207.699.4401
ted@cutler2010.com
PORTLAND, Maine – More than a dozen prominent Republicans from around the state announced their support for Independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler today, further demonstrating the broad appeal of Cutler’s candidacy to mainstream voters in Maine. The group includes local elected officials, business leaders, and former legislators and party officials, many of whom supported other candidates in the recent Republican Primary Election.
“We need to get Maine’s economy moving again, especially in places like here in Washington County,” said Capt. Bob Peacock of Eastport, a harbor pilot and businessman who also serves as Eastport City Council President. “Eliot Cutler impresses me as the only candidate who has a real plan to help create jobs throughout the state, as well as the experience and toughness to change the course that Maine has been on for too long.”
From the other end of the state, Tim Hussey of Kennebunk, CEO of the six-generation family-owned Hussey Seating Company of North Berwick, said, “It’s time to put partisanship aside and do what’s best for Maine. We need to lower our costs in Maine and to start attracting investment again. We have great workers and great assets in our state, and Eliot Cutler is the only candidate in this race who can provide the strong, centrist leadership we need to turn Maine around.”
In addition to Peacock and Hussey, the “Republicans for Cutler” group includes:
- Andrew Hamilton of Bangor, a partner in the Eaton Peabody law firm
- Tom Lizotte of Dover-Foxcroft, Chairman of the Piscataquis County Commissioners
- Tanya Pereira of Hampden, an economic developer
- Gordon Smith of East Winthrop, executive vice president of the Maine Medical Association and former member of the Republican National Committee
- Jonathan LaBonte of Auburn, Androscoggin County Commissioner and executive director of Androscoggin Land Trust
- Al Bancroft and Mark Bancroft of South Paris, founders and owners, Bancroft Contracting Corp.
- Karen Brown-Mohr of Portland, government affairs executive and former four-term Republican legislator from Bethel
- Horace “Hoddy” Hildreth, Jr., of Falmouth, chairman of Diversified Communications and former Republican state senator, candidate for Congress and son of former Republican governor, the late Horace Hildreth, Sr.
- Albert B. Glickman of Cape Elizabeth, an attorney, real estate developer, investor, and philanthropist who has served on numerous charitable boards in Maine and across the country and has been a generous supporter of Republican candidates and committees. Mr. Glickman also is a former chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.
- Edward S. “Ted” O’Meara, Jr., of South Portland, Cutler’s campaign manager and former chairman of the Maine Republican Party, member of the Republican National Committee and candidate for Congress
“The Republican attack line since the Primary has been that Eliot is ‘just a Democrat masquerading as Independent,’ but I wouldn’t be working for him and these Maine leaders wouldn’t be supporting him if that were the case,” O’Meara said. “Eliot is a true independent who will govern with common sense from the center. He is not beholden to the special interests and ideological extremists that have taken over both parties, and have led so many of us to meet in the middle around his candidacy.”
Cutler recently announced that two Democratic lawmakers who serve as co-chairs of the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee, State Senator Dennis Damon of Trenton and State Representative Leila J. Percy of Phippsburg, are supporting his bid to be Maine’s third Independent governor since 1974.
“My campaign has the biggest tent in the race for governor this year, and I welcome the support of these prominent Republicans from around Maine,” said Cutler. “There will be many more Republicans and Democrats joining my campaign in the coming weeks, but I am especially grateful to the leaders from both parties who have already stepped up to support me. They are sending a powerful message to their fellow partisans that it’s okay to put Maine first.”
