Elaine Makas

This year there were seven legislators in the Maine delegation to the Democratic National Convention, more than in recent history.

PolitickerME had the opportunity to talk with four state lawmakers at the delegation breakfast Thursday. State Rep. Elaine Makas (D-Lewiston) and Maine House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree (D-North Haven) are Obama delegates, and Rep. Cynthia Dill (D-Cape Elizabeth) and Sen. Phillip Bartlett (D-Gorham) are Clinton delegates.

In addition, Reps. Jon Hinck (D-Portland), Christopher Babbidge (D-Kennebunk) and Linda Valentino (D-Saco) spent the week in Denver.

DENVER -- Jon “Bowzer” Bauman considers Maine Rep. Elaine Makas (D-Lewiston) one of his biggest supporters when it comes to passing his pet project, “The Truth In Music” Act.

See our video interview with them below.

Bauman was a member of the band Sha Na Na and was in the movie Grease.

Maine’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention are on both sides of the fence when it comes to having a roll call vote for Hillary Clinton.

Presumptive nominee Barack Obama’s campaign made the announcement along with Clinton’s campaign that Clinton’s name will be submitted for nomination in the first round of balloting.

Before the announcement was officially made, PolitickerME sent out an e-mail survey to all of the elected DNC delegates.

Two Clinton supporters responded, and both favored a roll call vote. Seven Obama supporters responded. Three favored a roll call, three opposed it and one would not comment on the issue.

The Bangor Daily News election website has Rep. Craven up with 54% of the vote, followed by Rep. Makas with 30% and Paul Madore with 15%.Rep. Craven, who will essentially go unopposed in the November election. 

In a three way primary, it is possible to win with very few votes, and each candidate brings his or her own base of voters from the start.

UPDATED Mar. 19 at 7 p.m. with an interview with Sen. Lisa Marrache 

Wednesday was the seventh annual Franco-American Day at the State House, a day to celebrate French heritage in Maine during the International Francophone Week.

State Sen. Lisa Marrache, D-Waterville, was in charge of the show.

Marrache is 100 percent Franco. Her parents were the first generation of her family born in the United States. Her mom is from the Beauce region of Quebec, her dad was from the Gaspѐ region of Quebec.

The Lewiston Senate seat may be home to a three way primary.

Lewiston Mayor Laurent Gilbert Sr. will run for the Maine House of Representatives in 2008.

He filed registration papers with the Ethics Commission Thursday to seek the seat now held by Rep. Elaine Makas, D-Lewiston, who plans to run for the state Senate next year.

Gilbert won the mayoral seat in a special election this February, and was re-elected in November. If elected to the House, he would be leaving short of completion of his first full term.

READ:  Republicans hope to take reigns of state Senate in ‘08

Open seats:

District 7, Southern Cumberland County: Sen. Lynn Bromley, D-South Portland, is termed out. Bromley safely won the seat in 2006, but replaced a Republican who had been termed out, though in 2000 she won the seat by nearly 4,000 votes.

Prediction: Safe Democrat