Veto-wielding Maine Republican governor faces tough re-election fight

By Dave Sherwood AUGUSTA, Maine (Reuters) - Maine Republican governor Paul LePage vetoed a bill Wednesday to expand Medicaid in his state, drawing a clear line between him and Democratic challenger U.S. Representative Mike Michaud, in one of the most closely contended gubernatorial races of 2014. Like many of his fellow freshman Republican governors, LePage was elected in 2010 on a wave of support from the conservative Tea Party movement with a mandate to reshape state government. He has fought constantly with Democrats since they took control of the Maine legislature in 2013, a rift that has led him to issue 128 vetoes to date, more than any other governor in state history. Expanding Medicaid, the U.S. health program for the poor, is a central tenet of President Barack Obama's signature health care law and a defining issue in the closely-watched three-way campaign between LePage, Michaud and center-left independent Eliot Cutler, both of whom support Medicaid expansion.



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