BREAKING: Steve Abbott Will Announce Next Week

By Matthew Gagnon
January 6, 2010

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This is a Pine Tree Politics exclusive: Senator Susan Collins’ Chief of Staff, Steve Abbott, has officially resigned from his position and will be seeking the Republican nomination for Governor of Maine. This hardly comes as a surprise given my coverage of Abbott in the past, but it is now official, and the wheels will be in motion next week.

Abbott will be sending out a media advisory this Monday, announcing his kick off events in Portland, Orono and Presque Isle on Tuesday.

Also a minor bombshell to the race, I have confirmed that Steve Abbott has lined up both Peter Cianchette and Peter Vigue behind him for his run. The Cianbro duo brings some heavy hitting business and political ties to the Abbott campaign which will no doubt help him with both fundraising and institutional party support for his run.

More to come as it develops…

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Tags: 2010 Gubernatorial Race, 2010 Republican Gubernatorial Primary, Steve Abbott

38 Responses to “BREAKING: Steve Abbott Will Announce Next Week”

Nathan D.

06. Jan, 2010

Matt, I’d be curious to hear your take on how Abbott’s timing will affect his chances.
Matthew Gagnon

06. Jan, 2010

Nathan,

I don’t think it will hurt him at all. If anything, it will allow him to “make a splash” to potentially vault ahead of all of the other candidates in the race who have yet to distinguish themselves from each other.

His support from Vigue, Cianchette and I am also told Josh Tardy coming up, will really start to build a narrative around him as the consensus candidate that the establishment is rallying around… circle the wagons around… whatever allusion you want to make.

Now, the question is really if that will sell or not. This was probably the best possible way for him to enter, but the question remains if he can win. Will Collins’ hang around his neck like a noose in a GOP primary? Will he be able to raise the requisite money to saturate the field like Otten/Poliquin? Will he be able to totally dominate the moderate vote and force Mills out of the race? Will he play well on television?

There are a lot of lingering questions about his candidacy that we simply do not know yet – but frankly, I do like his chances.
John J Bouchard

06. Jan, 2010

It will be interesting to see if Mr. Abbott is able to
raise enough money with only 5 months to go. Bruce Poliquin
is so far ahead in raising money, and grass root support, I
do not think the “Cainbro Duo” will make a difference.
Dell_Cue

07. Jan, 2010

Having heard the rumors of Abbott getting in were one thing – now that he is going to do it and, if what is being reported here, he has Vigue and Cianchette, this will vault him ahead of the field. Any word on who he may have locked up as a treasurer? Abbott will assemble a campaign team tested by 4 state-wide races and honed over the last 16 years. More importantly, these folks will be Mainers who know the state and know the way to build a vote count. Otten, Poliqin, Jacobsen et.al. have no real clue what just hit them. Aside from the afore mentioned atributes, Abbott also has a long history working his way up through the party here in Maine. When he was just a kid out of college he drove McKernan around on his campaigns. He’s driven more lawn signs into the ground for Republican candidates than can be imagined. He has worked nearly every position in Republican races from grunt to head guy. This is something the others in the race just have not done regardless of how much catch-up money they try to throw at the party faithful. It’s not that Abbott is owed the loyalty of the state party activists: Unlike the other guys, (Poliqin in particular), Steve Abbott has earned it. I’m going to vote for him, plain and simple.
Rassan Roland Spock

07. Jan, 2010

Turnout for the announcement tour will be a big indicator of what this means to the race. So far the other candidates have only been able to get 10 or 15 people to show at these things, even McGowan. The proof will be in the pudding with Abbott, let’s see if there is any real grass roots support out there.

Poliquin does not appear to have any more grass roots support than he has written a check to cover. He sits alone in his quarter-million dollar RV at night and video blogs to no one, it’s like the main character from Avatar, minus the hot blue chick.
Maine's Son

07. Jan, 2010

Hey, Matthew. No need for me to wonder anymore (<a href="http://www.pinetreepolitics.com/2009/12/01/the-endorsement-game-kicks-off/"see my previous comments here). Looks like we know what Vigue and Cianchette are going to do now. And I think it matters. My ear to the ground is hearing that it’s just a tip of the iceberg.

Hope you made a few bucks for all the stuff you’ve done for Jacobson, Mr. Gagnon. He might be a thing of the past soon.

JJB – Abbott has twice broken and currently holds the fundraising record for a statewide race, but God bless you for being involved and for your enthusiasm. We need more people like you!
Garrett

07. Jan, 2010

Dell Q,

Glad you came out of the closet. Are you suggesting Abbott should get support because he’s a political insider who’s spent a lifetime in politics? Not sure what planet you live on but 2010 is not looking like the year for that sort of candidate. Guess time will tell…
ATC

07. Jan, 2010

I think that after 30 years of a legislature controlled by establishment Dems, and 8 years of a completely incompetent political insider occupying the Blaine House, Mainers are sick of insider politicians.

The Maine electorate is fiercely independent-minded by nature, and fiscally conservative “outsider” candidates are energizing Republicans and Independents nationwide, so I guarantee that is the sort of candidate that will win this election. Out of the few that fit that description, Poliquin is strongest on economic issues and is raising the most money, so I think that will tip the scale in his favor.

I have no doubt that Abbott is politically talented and will make a bit of a splash when he jumps in, but there is a huge difference between effectively representing a popular senator in the corridors of the Capitol building and effectively administering a state in the midst of a budget crisis. At the end of the day Abbot a career political staffer who has no personal qualifications to run for governor.
Matthew Gagnon

07. Jan, 2010

Maine’s Son – Steve Abbott was not the person those people gave money to – they gave it to Susan Collins. He identified and engineered it, but saying “he” raised more money than anyone else is incorrect. He was part of the team that raised that much money for SOMEBODY ELSE.

Maybe he can replicate that for his own run. Maybe he can’t. We’ll see. I’m sure he has the ability to raise plenty of money, but I wouldn’t expect him to decimate the field like you seem to be suggesting he will.

As for the Jacobson thing, I’ve addressed that more than enough. You know it is bullshit – but I doubt that matters much to an anonymous commenter – you get to say whatever you want with no personal consequences. Congrats.
Mike

07. Jan, 2010

Matt, I wouldn’t worry about him. Since he said “we” in response to a comment from a Poliquin supporter, it looks like we know who he’s in the tank for, don’t we?
Tyler

07. Jan, 2010

Rassan, you have a very warped view of Bruce Poliquin. I have volunteered for him on multiple occasions and I dont remember checks being thrown at me. He makes sure his volunteers are fed, 12 of us split 4 pizzas and 2 orders of breadsticks at pizza hut. If you want to talk about that as throwing money around then so be it, but it is not at all what you are claiming. I am on the ground, I am a College Republican, and I know that Bruce has amazing support among us. Many College Republicans embrace Bruce because he is the right candidate for Maine and he is someone we are willing to make endless phone calls for and go door to door for.
MainelyRight

07. Jan, 2010

Bruce Poliquin announced today that he has $300,000 funds in his political war chest. To me, that suggests he is resonating with the voters of Maine. He is giving the right (direct/honest) answers to the people’s questions. He’s getting out and talking to the people…I’ve seen that first hand. So Steve Abbott is throwing his hat in the ring. I don’t know if he can raise the money, but I do know that I’m tired of voting for lawyers who just think that going to law school and passing the bar is their credential for telling me what to do. I’m going with the successful manager and fiscally sound businessman…Mr. Poliquin. Furthermore, I haven’t been happy with Susan Collins’ votes, why would I like Mr. Abbott?
Mike

08. Jan, 2010

I suppose that’ll help keep Bruce’s battalion of out-of-state consultants fed and housed.

I’ve been to several events where Bruce ducked questions about gay marriage. Asked whether he would have signed it, he said “I’d send it to the voters.” That’s not an answer, direct or otherwise. Governors can’t modify legislation that has been passed; all they can do is veto it or sign it into law. If Chris Christie can get elected in New Jersey while saying he’d veto gay marriage, it shouldn’t be an issue in Maine. Why won’t Bruce say what he’d really do?

Are you really that stupid? Staffers don’t control how Senators vote, and they don’t disagree with their boss in public. It’s moronic to assume that a political staffer agrees with their boss 100% of the time. You have no idea what their professional relationship is like, and when or on what issues Collins may have asked Abbott for his thoughts, and what he said.

Not only that, but Collins votes on FEDERAL issues; Abbott is running for a STATE office. You have no idea how he feels about state issues. Why don’t you wait and ask him instead of making blanket assumptions based on nonsense?
Hutch

08. Jan, 2010

After a decade in Washington the only thing Abbott knows is how to smooze the special interest and high priced lobbyists. Is that who we really want running our state???
Hutch

08. Jan, 2010

In response to Spock’s comment. Bruce Poliquin’s weekly video updates are viewed by over 40,000 supporters and his quarter of a million dollar RV is a 11 year old bus that was parked behind a barn for 10 years with the wiring chewed out by mice. The heat does not work and is very basic on the inside. I know, I’ve driven it many thousands of miles. Get your facts straight before making these comments.
Garrett

08. Jan, 2010

Hutch,
It’s pretty obvious some Abbott enthusiasts don’t want people to know how hard Bruce Poliquin and his volunteers have been working, including meeting and speaking with thousands of people around the entire state. Easily the most grassroots and populist effort in this race. It doesn’t really matter, though. Poliquin has already crisscrossed the state in his old, renovated RV so many times and spoken with and been by seen by so many people it’s a little late for that juvenile spin to resonate with the people of Maine.
I suspect there’s a panic that the ‘good ‘ol boys’ insider candidate won’t have the nomination handed to him for putting in time for the ‘good ‘ol boys’. Just don’t see it being the year for that, though. Seems that’s exactly what voters are sick and tired of right now. They don’t seem in the mood for a politician who’s worked for the U.S. Congress for years and has the good graces of the career political insiders. Guess we’ll have to wait and see!

On another note, what I hope we can all agree on is that we don’t want a nominee who has made campaign contributions to Pingree, Michaud and Biden, and who ran a company into the ground while escaping with millions. We’d be dead in the general if that happens. Leslie Otten’s a Democrat attack ad waiting to happen.
Mike

08. Jan, 2010

Hutch, how do you know the extent of Abbott’s knowledge? Your superior mind-reading abilities? You’re a moron.

Poliquin Astroturfer #314, nobody cares how hard Poliquin or his volunteers have been working. That’s irrelevant. People care why he ducks the hard questions, and how being a real-estate developer with no knowledge of the legislative process or state government qualifies him to run the state. People may wonder how it is that the “most grassroots effort in the state” is the only campaign to hire a half-dozen expensive campaign consultants from away.

I suspect Poliquin, like Otten or any successful businessman, has plenty of dissatisfied people he’s steamrolled to make deals happen over the years. I suspect those people will start coming out of the woodwork once people who don’t read political blogs learn he’s running.
Mike

08. Jan, 2010

Steve has deficits, to be sure – all the candidates do, on both sides. But let’s offer legitimate criticism rather than ignorant ideological nonsense. To everyone except diehard supporters, it’s clear that there’s no real difference between any of the Republican candidates on the issues so far.

Against tax increase? Check.
Waffle on social issues? Check.
Jobs and the economy are important? Check.
Be despised by various factions for superficial reasons? Check.
Have virtually no name identification? Check.

Now you, too, can be a Republican candidate for Governor of Maine!
Garrett

08. Jan, 2010

Mike,
Maybe you’re just being dishonest, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you just haven’t spent much time talking with Bruce. The man is not only brilliant, seriously brilliant, but he also studies like it’s nobody’s business. He’s got Maine government figured out. But don’t trust me, reach out to him yourself.

As for calling me an “astroturfer”, Thank You! If being an enthusiastic supporter of a candidate, as a supporter who has introduced my parents, grandparents, tons of friends and family to Bruce Poliquin and then learned they agree with me and think he’s great and will support him, too, and volunteer, too, defines me as “astroturfing”, I’ll wear the label with pride!!!
Mike

08. Jan, 2010

Right, because everybody who ever meets Bruce thinks he’s qualified to be governor. That’s superb logic. Being brilliant and hard-working does not, in any way, shape, or form, instantly mean you’ll be a good governor.

He does not have Maine government “figured out.” His blog and public comments are riddled with naiveté, like in his answer to the question about gay marriage. If you don’t know enough to instantly be able to say whether you’d sign one of the most controversial bills this session into law you’re not qualified to be governor…or you’re deliberately ducking the question.
Garrett

08. Jan, 2010

Mike,
Might I suggest you meet Bruce Poliquin in person and ask him any questions you like? That way you can have a more informed opinion. I can help arrange it for you. Let me know when you would like to set it up.
Ben

08. Jan, 2010

Do you really expect us to believe that Poliquin is driving around the state of Maine in the middle of winter with no heat? But that’s beside the point.

I read Bill Nemitz’s article in this mornings Press Herald about the Clean Election Fund. It’s a tough time in our economy to fully endorse it when we see the things being cut from the budget, but it exsists for all the right reasons. The selling point that Poliquin has raised so much more $$$ than any other hard working canidate (to date) does not suggest to me that he is the best canidate…it suggests that he is the best at knowing how to get his money…

I don’t believe that he has that much more support than any other leading contender by driving around in a bus with no heat.
Mike

08. Jan, 2010

As I said, I have spoken with Bruce, several times. He refused to answer the question. I don’t need a right-wing blogger from DC to get in touch with Maine candidates, thanks. You see, I actually live here.

The Clean Election Fund is a waste of time and money. It does nothing other than help re-elect legislators. Time to dump it.
Hutch

08. Jan, 2010

Mike, I am sorry if I offended you, that was not my intent. I would like to comment on your statement about “just because you are brilliant and hard working does not, in any way, shape, or form, instantly mean you will be a good governor”.
Mainers by tradition are hardworking, self reliant and fiscally conservative. They relate to someone like Bruce and see him as one of them. All the people he has met throughout this state listen to him, understand his message and are throwing their support behind him. His message is consistent and he does not care about the politics associated with all the issues and concerns people have. He just wants things to be right for the people of Maine. They do not feel the current administration cares about their needs.
Dave

08. Jan, 2010

Hahahahahahahahahaha…

Bruce is “one of us”?

Are you effing kidding me?

I’m sorry man, but there is no way any laborer from the 2nd District will ever look at Bruce Poliquin and say, “this man is just like me”.

Millionaire real estate mogal who sleeps in a pressed suit and is attempting to purchase a political offic. Yeah, that’s just like me alright.

Look, I don’t mind that you are so enthusiastic about the guy, but please, take a reality pill if you want to talk about the race. Poliquin has some strengths, but relating to the common man of Maine and making them feel like he is “one of them” is most certainly NOT one of his strengths.
Hutch

08. Jan, 2010

I was at the Windsor Fair this fall as a volunteer for Bruce and a gentleman came up to Bruce and said, ” I really like what you just said to those people over there about your message on how to fix this state”. “Listen”, the gentleman said to Bruce. ” I am a millwright at New Page Corp in Rumford”. “Would you (Bruce ) be willing to stand at the employee entrance during a shift change at the mill and tell our workers just what you told those folks over there”. He said he would be happy to. As I said Dave, people relate to him. If you have not spoken directly to Bruce then you cannot relate to him. Make a point on attending one of his events.
Garrett

08. Jan, 2010

Good point, Hutch. Bruce came from very humble beginnings in Waterville. It’s really quite amazing how consistently people come away from meeting Bruce really liking him a lot and liking his ideas for Maine.

For people reading, Bruce and his campaign are accessible and all over the state. Plenty of chances to meet him and decide for yourselves…no need to take his supporters word for it…
Hutch

08. Jan, 2010

Thanks Garrett, very well said. I think sometime people believe that business people are evil because they have some money. They however, are the ones that provide employment opportunities, provide benifits such as health insurance, worker compensation and contribute to the economy through taxation, purchasing raw materials, etc. Remember business is not the enemy, government is. I think Maine has a very high level of what we call the “working poor” both husband and wife working hard but see their pay checks continue to diminish through taxation and increasing fees. People should ask themselves; Am I better off today then I was 10 years ago? Most would say no. This is what Bruce is trying to change. He is not a politician and dosen’t care about politics. It is not in his DNA. If we build it around Bruce business will come!!
Alex

08. Jan, 2010

LOL – two Poliquin campaign volunteers talking back and forth about how great Poliquin is. LOL, my lord guys, this is embarrassing to watch. You two sound like you are reading off a teleprompter.

I’m very happy that the one guy from the mill like Bruce. Doesn’t change much though. He isn’t going to meet the voters who vote for him, for the most part. Radio, TV, internet, etc etc etc. They’ll see a phony sounding rich windbag trying to say all the right things, but it will be about as authentic as Pam Anderson’s chest.

You can pretend like this isn’t how it is if you want. Frankly I think the two of you have tunnel vision and think that the few examples you see on the campaign trail mean anything in the larger sense (as if DAWN HILL didn’t have that kind of experience on the campaign trail – newsflash: they all do).

Bruce is making his own bed and now needs to lay in it. You say this is the “outsider’s year”? Well, you know what else it is? It is the year that people are sick of the rich getting special treatment to the detriment of the little guy. The populist anger is palpable with bailouts and boondogles everywhere, and all of it benefits people like Bruce.

So here we have an ultra Rich guy running for Governor, and what does he do? He dumps an ungodly amount of his own money in the race to give the appearance of a REAL fundraising operation, in a rather sad attempt to buy an office, probably for an ego stroke.

He has nothing in common with the little guy in Maine. None of us can write checks to get ahead in life. This isn’t the year for that kind of thing to actually sell. He is going to be in for a shock when he comes in like 5th place. Suits and truckloads of money won’t make you appealing to anyone outside maybe the people in Southern Maine who have suits and truckloads of money, and there aren’t that many of them down there, and those who are there aren’t really Republicans anyway.

But, I’m sure you’ll come back and tell me an awesome story about how Bruce really connected with some potato farmer from Aroostook county, but it won’t change the basic fact that no one is really all that interested.
Hutch

08. Jan, 2010

Well Alex at least we are passionate about someone. Who do you support?
Alex

08. Jan, 2010

Yeah well… President Obama’s supporters were “passionate” too. Didn’t mean he was a good choice for office. As we’ve seen, he wasn’t.

As for who I support, I frankly don’t know. I will tell you that I am much more interested in people that come off as genuine. That would put LePage, Mills and Jacobson WAY up on my list above Poliquin. I don’t know Abbott at all, but he seems like a quality guy as well. Otten, I have zero interest in, as he is not only a phony just like Poliquin, but he’s actually a moron (unlike Poliquin).

Honestly I don’t know yet. Only thing I know is that Poliquin is trying to buy the Blaine House and he comes off as an out of touch rich guy who is just trying to say all the right things to get elected. He is like a less politically talented version of Mitt Romney. And remember, Romney won a highly urbanized, metropolitan state full of venture capital and money (just like him). Poliquin is running in a state that is 2/3 rural folk who don’t even own a suit.

This entire run is nothing but a giant massage of his ego. I know you believe in him, but everyone’s volunteers believe in their candidate. There are people who believe in Libby Mitchell just as much as you believe in Bruce. What matters is reality. Will he play statewide? No.
Rassan Roland Spock

09. Jan, 2010

“Bruce Poliquin’s weekly video updates are viewed by over 40,000 supporters”

My friend, you are full of crap.

Go take a look at the youtube views- here’s one for example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRZr69kRCZg

41 views. Not 40,000.

Poliquin’s only endorsements so far are two college students. And the only reason Tyler supports him is because Bruce put his buddy Boucher on the payroll.

But let’s see how much of a mess one rich guy with a napoleon complex can muck up a primary.
Hutch

09. Jan, 2010

And who do you support so we can carry on a more intelligent conversation?
John J Bouchard

10. Jan, 2010

Hey Mr. Spock,
In case you can’t figure it out, when you
send out 40000 emails to supporters the video updates
are contained in the emails.That is over 40000 email addresses.
Sounds like support to me. Who needs utube. And by the way there
is NOTHING wrong with success and hard work. While Bruce was in
college he washed windows to pay for his books,and college tuition.
Well Mr. Spock are you ready to join the Poliquin Campaign?
Matthew Gagnon

10. Jan, 2010

John,

YouTube view counts capture any time the video is played from start to finish anywhere. Doesn’t matter if it is on YouTube itself, embedded in a blog, or what have you. The view counts are comprehensive.

And I have severe doubts about 40,000 email addresses. I suppose it is possible, but I have worked on nationalized US Senate campaigns that at this point in the cycle have been working off of 8,000-10,000 email addresses. Unless email lists have been purchased from other candidates or organizations – which wouldn’t really help the argument I think you are making.
Michael W. Boucher

11. Jan, 2010

Rassan

The personal attack on my brother and I is unwarranted and I have a feeling that it comes from personal bias. First of all, Rep. Tyler Clark supports Bruce out of his free will because he truly believes that he has what it takes to change this state. Secondly, my twin brother is a City Councilor from Ellsworth Maine and a Campaign Manager for Bill Hudak in the MA 5th CD at twenty two years old. My brother and I grew up in a poor fishing family in Downeast Maine where at times our whole family struggled to provide for ourselves. I support Bruce whole heartedly not because he pays my bills but because I believe he can truly help the people of Maine and turn this state around.

Michael W. Boucher
John J Bouchard

11. Jan, 2010

Matt- Thanks for the clarification on youtube, that is something
I do not know alot about. We do have alot more than 10000 e-mail
addresses and growing!!!!

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