Brian Duff interviewed in Bangor Daily News story on GOP takeover of Maine legislature

Brian Duff, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, was interviewed for a news story that appeared in the Bangor Daily News Nov. 3, 2010 that analyzed how Maine Republicans managed to win majorities in both houses of the legislature. Duff said one factor in the legislative races was, in fact, the governor’s race. Republican candidate Paul LePage, who won by a narrow margin, had strong support in rural Maine. “The farther you got away from Portland in Maine, the more and more moderate and liberal voters stayed home and the conservatives were really fired up,” said Duff. “There were a lot of people up north really excited to vote for Paul LePage.” Duff added that GOP control of state government was new territory. “This is going to be a whole new thing for Maine. ... This is so new for Maine that I have a feeling the Republican leaders themselves do not have a sense of what the heck they’re going to do with this power.”

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