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Cain Denies Republican Party's Assertions About her Budget Support

Mal Leary
/
Maine Public
Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage attacks Democrat Emily Cain at a news conference Wednesday.

AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Republican Party has unearthed a video from Democrat Emily Cain’s primary campaign in 2014, and they are using it to attack her current campaign for the 2nd District congressional seat now held by Republican incumbent Bruce Poliquin.

In 2011 Emily Cain was in legislative leadership when the state budget was adopted, providing the largest income tax cut in state history.  Cain is touting that in her campaign.

But the Republican Party has a video from her primary campaign in 2014, in which she calls that budget the worst she had ever seen. Jason Savage, executive director of the Maine GOP, says that’s lying to the voters.

“Largest income tax cut in Maine history that Emily Cain is taking credit for, although she - she opposed that," Savage says. "And, you know, she is actually adopting Gov. LePage’s language and talking points in this - that is how far this has gone.”

But Cain says they got it wrong. She says she was referring to the original budget proposal, not what was passed, which she supported. And Cain says the GOP attack is an indication that the race is getting closer.

“I think the negative attacks are going to continue right up until the very end," she says. "I know if I was not doing well in connecting with Maine voters they wouldn’t be trolling out these old attacks time and time again.”

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.