Legere drops out of GOP; will run as independent

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    MILO — A Republican candidate for the Maine House of Representatives has dropped his party affiliation and will now run as an independent.
    Joseph Legere of Milo originally filed paperwork with the Maine Secretary of State’s office late last year to run for Maine Senate District 4, covering most of Piscataquis County. He would have been the third Republican seeking the nomination in addition to incumbent Sen. Doug Thomas of Ripley and Rep. Paul Davis of Sangerville.

    Legere then announced last month that he was dropping out of the senate race, endorsing Thomas and running for House District 120.
    Last week, Legere said that he was still in the house race, but as an unenrolled candidate. “As the bickering and fighting continues in Augusta, I have had a lot of time to think about the state of partisan politics,” Legere posted on his Facebook page. “Both parties are to blame for the division in the capitol. Republicans blame the Democrats and the Democrats turn around and blame the Republicans. With the exception of a handful of legislators, they have all become more concerned with their own interests instead of what’s really important: the men and women of their districts.”
    Legere, a long distance truck driver making his first run for public office, said that he has “decided to withdraw … from the Republican party and run as an independent. I am sick and tired of politicians who, instead of doing the job they were elected to do, seem to be more concerned with the next step in their political career. I believe that running as an independent candidate, I will be able to better represent everyone in my district. Republicans and Democrats alike can come to me anytime they want to express their interests and concerns.”
    Legere added that he “really couldn’t care less about either party’s agenda. I care about your agenda. I care about keeping taxes down and personal liberties up. I care about bringing jobs to our district. I care about keeping government out of our bedrooms, bathrooms and gun safes. Most of all, I care about Maine.”
    Retired school superintendent Norman Higgins of Dover-Foxcroft is now the only Republican candidate in the race for House District 120; and as of last week, no Democratic candidate has surfaced.
    The seat was held by Davis, but his hometown of Sangerville was placed in House District 119 after last year’s reapportionment. House District 120 now encompasses Atkinson, Brownville, Dover-Foxcroft, Lake View, Medford and Milo.