Tom Allen to Challenge Susan Collins for US Senate Seat

Democrat Tom Allen has secured his party's nomination to face Republican Susan Collins in the November election, beating out Tom Ledue.

Maine U.S. Senate Race Overview

Susan Collins, a Republican, has been the junior U.S. Senator from Maine since 1996. Collins did not have a challenger in the Republican Party primary. Democrats Tom Allen Independent Herbert Hoffman have declared their candidacies as challengers to Collins’ Senate seat.  Allen beat fellow Democrat Tom Ledue for their party's nomination to the seat in the June 10 primary election.

U.S. Senate Race Stories from Maine Things Considered

Hoffman Seeks Stay of Signature Ruling
Reported By: A.J. Higgins Date Aired: 8/6/2008

An attorney for a retired Ogunquit psychologist who wants to be an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate is asking the state's highest court to stay a ruling that took his client off the ballot last month. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court concluded that Herbert Hoffman had not obtained enough signatures to appear on the fall ballot along with Democratic nominee Congressman Tom Allen and Republican incumbent Susan Collins. But John Branson, Hoffman's attorney, says the law court should set aside its ruling until his client can petition the United States Supreme Court for a review of the decision.
Windows

Hoffman Decision Raises New Questions About Petition Drives
Reported By: A.J. Higgins    Date Aired: 7/29/2008

One day after the Maine Supreme Court forced independent U.S. Senate candidate Herbert Hoffman off the fall ballot, aftershocks are being felt at the Secretary of State's Office where the phone is ringing off the hook. Elections officials say callers are raising questions about other candidates' petitions and whether their signatures were legally obtained. Although the deadline for challenges has passed, election officials and party activists predict the high court's ruling could spark dozens of signature-gathering lawsuits.

Windows

Hoffman De-certified by High Court
Reported By: A.J. Higgins    Date Aired: 7/28/2008

The state's highest court ruled today that the name of independent U.S. Senate candidate Herbert Hoffman will not appear on the November ballot. The ruling is a victory for the Maine Democratic Party, which has contended that Hoffman did not follow Maine law when circulating his nominating petitions earlier this year. Democratic party lawyers appealed an earlier Superior Court ruling in favor of Hoffman to the Maine Supreme Court. The goal, party leaders say, was to clarify what it means when a circulator takes a sworn oath when gathering signatures for a political candidate. Hoffman argued that the party was worried that he'd siphon votes away from the Democratic nominee, Congressman Tom Allen.

Windows

Maine Democratic Party Ousts Hoffman Supporters
Reported By: A.J. Higgins    Date Aired: 7/25/2008

Two members of the Maine Democratic Party's executive committee have been ejected from their posts for supporting Herbert Hoffman's independent bid for the U.S. Senate. Lu Bauer, of Brunswick, and David Bright, of Dixmont, circulated petitions for Hoffman whose effort to remain on the fall ballot was challenged by Democratic leaders Thursday before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Bright says he's disappointed that the Maine Democratic Party seems to be ignoring some of its long-time institutions -- particularly those that encourage different points of view.

Windows

Democrats Take Hoffman Challenge to Maine High Court
Reported By: A.J. Higgins   Date Aired: 7/24/2008

The ongoing dispute between the Maine Democratic Party and state election officials over independent U.S. Senate candidate Herbert Hoffman's right to appear on the ballot spilled over to the state's highest court Thursday. Lawyers representing three different parties in the case argued over the validity of several signatures Hoffman collected to qualify for the state's fall ballot and whether he had upheld his sworn oath as a petition circulator. With only slightly more than 100 signatures needed to meet the state's threshold for the ballot, Hoffman could be taken out of the race by an adverse ruling from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Windows

McCain Makes Southern Maine Campaign Stops
Reported By: Tom Porter    Date Aired: 7/21/2008

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain spent the day in Maine today, to raise money and drum up support in a state which has gone against the Republican party in the last four presidential elections.

Windows

Allen Criticizes Collins For Failing To Prevent War Profiteering

Reported By:  A.J. Higgins   Date Aired: 6/23/2008

For months, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Allen has maintained that if a Republican-controlled Congress had insisted on greater accountability five years ago, lawmakers could have prevented the loss of billions of dollars to war profiteers in Iraq.  Now, new reports appear to bolster that claim.  Allen says the U.S. House has initiated inquiries into war profiteering.  He believes that it's time for the Senate to do the same.

Windows

Ogunquit Independent Enters US Senate Race

Reported By: A.J. Higgins    Date Aired: 5/29/2008

A retired Ogunquit psychologist is entering the race for the US Senate seat now held by Susan Collins. Herbert Hoffman today delivered more than 4,000 signatures to the Secretary of State's office. Hoffman, a long-time Democrat, dropped out of the party and plans to run as an independent in a race that already includes Democrat Tom Allen and Republican Susan Collins. The 75-year old progresive candidate chides both of his rivals for their views on Iraq and the Bush Administration.

Windows

Tom Allen Endorses Sen. Barack Obama
Reported By: A.J. Higgins    Date Aired: 5/12/2008

Congressman Tom Allen has announced he will support Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as the Democrats presidential nominee. That means half of Maine's eight so-called superdelegates have committed to Obama with Gov. John Baldacci the lone holdout for Senator Hillary Clinton. Allen says both candidates are "supremely qualified" to be president, but he believes it is time to bring a "graceful end" to the primary campaign.

Windows

Allen Says Collins Campaign Ad Goes Too Far
Reported By: AJ Higgins   Date Aired: 2/12/2008
Congressman Tom Allen says Sen. Susan Collins has gone too far in a recent fund-raising video that includes him in a series of images with MoveOn.org demonstrators. Allen says he does not share the beliefs of the protestors who are burning American flags and carrying banners proclaiming "we support our troops when they shoot their officers."

Windows

Pollsters Say Strategy Change Needed in Allen Senate Campaign
Reported By: A.J. Higgins   Date Aired: 1/23/2008
As Senator Susan Collins and 1st District Congressman Tom Allen inch closer to a center stage showdown in Maine's political arena, two pollsters from opposing political parties agree that Allen must change his strategy for defeating the Republican incumbent.

Windows

Senator Collins Views The Future In Iraq
Reported By: Jeanne Baron  Date Aired: 8/17/2007
The war in Iraq has emerged as a top issue in the campaign between incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins and her challenger, Democratic Congressman Tom Allen. Earlier this week Allen came to our studios to discuss his recent visit to Iraq and his positions on the war. Today Susan Collins shared her views on how the U.S. should proceed in Iraq.
Windows

Congressman Allen Makes It Official
Reported By: Susan Sharon  Date Aired: 5/8/2007
Democratic Congressman Tom Allen will challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins for her senate seat next year. The six-term congressman from Maine's First District filed papers today with the Federal Election Commission and officially launched his campaign web site. The widely anticipated move is expected to open the political floodgates for candidates interested in Allen's congressional seat
Windows