Primary Day!

The results are in! Governor Baldacci won an overwhelming victory in the Democratic Primary yesterday, capturing approximately 75% of the vote.

The Governor traveled to both ends of Maine, Kittery to Presque Isle, to meet with voters and discuss the relevant issues of the race. He started out his day in Kittery at 5:30am, where he met with workers at the gate of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. He greeted them and discussed how important it is that we keep jobs in Maine. Nobody in the region will forget how the Governor worked with the congressional delegation to fight the Base Re-Alignment Commission and save the Shipyard. A special thanks is owed to Dave Schofield, Peter Bowman, and York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence for rounding up the troops and standing with the Governor so early in the morning!

Afterwards he went to three restaurants; Square Toes in Kennebunk, Jonesy's in Biddeford, and the Golden Rooster in Saco. Having been brought up in his family restaurant, Momma Baldacci's, the Governor enjoyed meeting with folks from the area as they enjoyed their breakfasts. At Jonesy's (where my parents used to take me as a child, and I still love today) he even grabbed a coffee pot and gave everyone warm-ups!

After an excellent stop in Portland, where he walked around local businesses around Monument Square, he traveled up to Bath to meet with BIW workers at the Local S-6 headquarters. They sat around a conference table for a conversation about Dirigo and Maine jobs. The Governor stressed the importance of leveling the playing field so that workers get more access to affordable health care and highlighted his work against trade deals that leave Maine workers behind.

After traveling up to Lewiston to have lunch at Montello Elementary School with Donna Tardiff, Deanna Nadeau and a big group of kindergarten and 1st grade students, Governor Baldacci hopped on a plane to Presque Isle, where he had a wonderful reception, and got a great haircut from Dwight the Barber!

Then he flew down to his hometown--Bangor. He and Mrs. Baldacci voted at the William S. Cohen School, where they were met by an enthusiastic group of supporters and news cameras.

We all ended the day at Momma Baldacci's restaurant, where it all began for the Governor years ago. To show his appreciation for everyone's help, he told everyone to sit down and he personally served us pizza and breadsticks as we watched the election returns come in. Everyone cheered loudly when the news cameras went live from the deli. Afterwards, most people stayed around to talk, eat, and check out the results of the other races.

It was a long and tiring day, but a wonderful day nonetheless. There's something about a sunny day and people exercising their constitutional right to vote that makes me feel good inside. The Governor was in great spirits as he traveled through the state--Kittery to Presque Isle to Bangor is quite the strenuous schedule, but he enjoyed it immensely.

Everyone who worked with us to make Main Streets Across Maine a rousing success is owed a debt of gratitude. Now we're focused on November, where the Governor and a wide array of candidates will engage in a great debate about which direction the state should head. We're confident that when Election Day arrives, voters will understand that only John Baldacci can keep Maine headed in the right direction.

A Great Convention!

What a weekend!

It has been an exhausting but exhilarating few days here at the Baldacci campaign. Our staff and our amazing corps of volunteers worked tirelessly all weekend to make the 2006 Maine Democratic Convention a rousing success!

First and foremost, a huge thank-you is owed to Julius Erdo, the man responsible for the best booth at the convention. Julius constructed a replica of an Italian Restaurant, called "Baldacci's," complete with wooden counters, pillars, romantic lighting, hanging plans, and the appearance of a brick oven. Nothing in Augusta this weekend looked quite like this booth. And nothing represents the values of John Baldacci better than a warm, inviting, family restaurant. This booth was truly the talk of the convention.

We could not have done it without our dedicated volunteers. Such as Diane Denk, who not only staffed the booth and helped put up signs on Friday morning, but also made trips to get us food! Also helping take care of volunteers was State Representative Linda Valentino from Saco, who brought us breakfast on Saturday. Tom Rodriques from Bowdoin College did an excellent job working with me for three days straight getting our signs up outside and inside the Augusta Civic Center. My good friend Kate Byrne also worked three days straight for us, from signs to working the booth. I do not know what I would have done without them.

For me, and I suspect most others involved, the highlight of the convention was Governor Baldacci's excellent speech on Saturday and the energetic floor demonstration that came before and after it. Marching out to the sounds of Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop"--a highly appropriate choice if you ask me--with a huge crowd of people behind him, the Governor stressed his record of accomplishments for Maine in contrast with the Bush Administration's record of failure in Washington.

The speech pumped up the crowd, pumped up our staff, and pumped up the Governor. We're ready to keep working as hard as we can to make the future even brighter for this great state.

Dispatch from the Grassroots

I'm working hard here at the Baldacci headquarters, recruiting volunteers to help us out at the Maine Democratic Party Convention; which will be June 2nd and 3rd at the Augusta Civic Center, and will feature Senator Russ Feingold as the keynote speaker. Team Baldacci is working on top secret plans for an amazing booth in the convention hall, and we need people to help us staff it. Anyone who is interested in coming to the convention and helping us tremendously should email me at marc@governorbaldacci.com or call at 699-2140.

Also, please contact me if you would like one of our lovely lawn signs. They help beautify anyone's front yard, and express that you want to keep Maine headed in the right direction. We would love for people to be able to put up signs to show their support for Governor Baldacci before the upcoming Primary Elections on June 13.



It's been an exciting first couple weeks for me here at the Baldacci Campaign. I've been putting a ton of miles on my car already, traveling around Southern Maine. I have met dedicated Democrats in every corner; making my faith in the state and our party stronger than ever.

At the York County Democratic Committee meeting (chaired by Maxine Adams of Biddeford), I learned about Dem Corps, a non-profit organization created by local Democratic Party activists that helps build strong communities through service and civic engagement. Co-founded by Greg Dumas of Saco, Dem Corps is proof of the Democratic Party's committment to enacting change through empowerment.

At the Portland Democratic City Committee meeting at King Middle School, I met with the Chair, Sive Neilan, and the Vice-Chair, Corey Hascall. This meeting featured a fascinating forum on Immigration where I had the honor to hear from Beth Stickney of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project and Burt Wartell of the Machinists Union and the Southern Maine Labor Council. I left the meeting enlightened about an issue that affects millions of people nationwide in a profoundly personal way.

Special thanks to everyone I met. I look forward to continuing to build relationships with people in all of Southern Maine's communities. By working together, we can re-elect John Baldacci, build a lasting Democratic majority, and empower people who used to feel as though they had no voice.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered...They Could be Yours!

The signs are here!

Come one! Come all! Get your very own John Baldacci lawn sign today!

Last evening, a bunch of volunteers (including my fiance and my sister!), and team Allen helped unload our 2006 lawn signs.

Special thanks to Jim Trott and Local 340!

If you're interested in decorating your rard with Governor John Baldacci's red, white, and blue signs for the upcoming primary, please email me at marc@governorbaldacci.com and we will make it happen. Signs and merchandise will also be available at the upcoming Maine Democratic Party Convention on June 2nd and 3rd.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Meet the Newest Member of Our Team!

Hi everyone! My name is Marc Malon; I'm the newest member of the Baldacci team.

I'll be working in the field in Southern Maine, recruiting volunteers and spreading the word about our campaign. The Governor has a great deal of grassroots support around the state, so I'll be working to expand that support base.

I'm very excited to travel across Southern Maine - its the area I'm proud to call home. I was born and raised in Biddeford, and recently have been attending graduate school in Washington, DC. I never thought I would take time off from school, as I would not want to delay graduation - but this situation was different.

This was John Baldacci.

When I thought about how many great things the Governor has done for this state, from Dirigo Health to increased access to higher education, my decision was easy. As a lifelong Mainer who intends to move back and raise a family here someday, I want Maine to keep headed in the right direction. I had to come back and help the Baldacci campaign.

So whether its a Democratic club meeting or a parade, a town fair or a town hall meeting, you'll probably see me there with my clipboard, handing out stickers and signing up volunteers. I look forward to meeting you!