PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 1, 2021
Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage formally registered as a candidate for Maine governor Thursday, confirming long-standing speculation he will attempt to unseat Democratic Gov. Janet Mills in 2022. LePage, a former Waterville mayor who served as governor from 2011 to 2019, has launched a website with a countdown clock indicating a public announcement for Monday. His campaign also registered with the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, which tracks campaign finances of candidates for state and county office. LePage, a firebrand conservative who aligned himself closely to former Republican President Donald Trump, was nearly daily in the headlines for his combative leadership style and his frequent controversial statements that were often coarse, sometimes vulgar and occasionally racially charged.