Karl Turner

Throughout the legislative session, Karl Turner sat on the powerful Appropriations Committee as the only Republican Senator.  On Wednesday, however, he was there as a third Senate Democrat.

Adam Cote used to be a Republican. He served in Iraq, and is an attorney specializing in energy and real estate development issues. He inspired Republican State Senator Karl Turner and Former GOP leader, Tony Payne to temporarily switch parties. He even made a glowing impression on the conservative talk show host Ray Richardson. The topic of Adam's Republican fan club came up during Cote's campaign for the Democratic nomination for Maine's 1st Congressional District. Although he lost the nomination to Chellie Pingree, Cote, with no political experience under his belt, toppled liberal darlings Ethan Strimling, Mark Lawrence and Mike Brennan, with second place finish.

The current rumor circulating among Republicans is that Peter Cianchette will resign his post as National Committeeman from Maine. If so, that would mean that both posts will be up for grabs this Friday, when Republicans convene in Augusta.

Karen Raye, the current National Committeewoman has announced she will not be running for reelection so that she can spend her time at family's mustard business in Washington County. Currently two people have announced their intentions to run for the post; Jan Staples, who held the post prior to Raye and the former Chair of the Republican Party, Kathy Watson. This will be a good race, although it should be noted no one has been able to explain to me what they do - other than get better seats at events.

UPDATED Apr. 2 at 9:30 p.m. with more details on the debate

The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday allowing Maine to participate in the National Popular Vote interstate compact. The bill will next go before the House for consideration.  read more »

PolitickerME asked six Republicans in the Legislature how they were feeling about the budget that passed. Responding in the video below: Senate Minority Leader Carol Weston, R-Montville; House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, R-Newport; Sen. Peter Mills, R-Cornville; Sen. Karl Turner, R-Cumberland, a member of the Appropriations Committee; Rep. Michael Vaughan, R-Durham; and Rep. John McDonough, R-Scarborough.

Just beneath the surface in the Maine Senate there is angst, and the cause is Senator Bill Diamond.

The Maine Senate could not either pass or not pass a bill Monday that would allow the state to participate in the National Popular Vote interstate compact.

Gosh, it must be tough being the Treasurer of the State. After a day of testimony before the appropriations committee, David Lemoine, our State Treasurer blurted out enough “I don’t knows” to make the average teenager blush during a parental interrogation.

It would appear that the Democrats have their eye on the seat being vacated by Senator Karl Turner. Word is they have lined up Jeanne Hulit, a banker with strong business connections to the greater Portland area. This Senate seat may well become ground zero for control of the State Senate in 2008. The Hulit candidacy just upped the ante. The senate district includes Cumberland, Falmouth, Gray, Yarmouth and North Yarmouth.

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