Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Kevin Raye
Kevin Raye was a 2014 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 2nd Congressional District of Maine.[1][2] He was defeated by Bruce Poliquin in the Republican primary on June 10, 2014.[3]
Raye is a former Republican member of the Maine State Senate, representing District 29 from 2004 to 2012, serving as President of the Senate from 2011-2012. Raye was a 2012 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 2nd Congressional District of Maine. Raye defeated Blaine Richardson in the Republican primary on June 12, 2012.[4]
Raye lost to Democratic incumbent Mike Michaud on November 6, 2012.[5]
Biography
Education:[6]
- 1979: Shead High School
- 1983: Bates College, Bachelor's degree in political science
Career
In addition to being a Senator, Raye is a business owner.
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Raye served on these committees:
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Raye served on these committees:
- Select Committee on Joint Rules
- Senatorial Vote
- Senate Rules
- Legislative Council
Issues
Presidential preference
2012
Kevin Raye endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[7]
Elections
2014
Raye ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent Maine's 2nd District.[1] He was defeated by Bruce Poliquin in the Republican primary on June 10, 2014.[3]
The National Republican Congressional Committee added Raye to their "On the Radar" list in November 2013. According to the NRCC, candidates that made this list were set to receive "...the tools they need to run successful, winning campaigns against their Democratic opponents."[8][9]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bruce Poliquin |
56.8% | 19,736 | ||
| Kevin Raye | 43.2% | 14,987 | ||
| Total Votes | 34,723 | |||
| Source: Maine.gov |
||||
2012
Raye did not run for re-election to the state senate in 2012. Instead, he ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Maine's 2nd District. Raye won the nomination on the Republican ticket. Raye defeated Blaine Richardson is the Republican primary.[10] Incumbent Mike Michaud ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run was March 15, 2012. The primary elections were held on June 12, 2012.[11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike Michaud Incumbent |
55.7% | 191,456 | |
| Republican | Kevin Raye | 40% | 137,542 | |
| N/A | Blank Votes | 4.3% | 14,910 | |
| Total Votes | 343,908 | |||
| Source: Maine Secretary of State "Tabulations for Elections held in 2012" | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Kevin Raye |
60% | 18,703 |
| Blaine Richardson | 40% | 12,465 |
| Total Votes | 31,168 | |
Race Background for 2012
Incumbent Mike Michaud first defeated Kevin Raye in the 2002 election for Maine's 2nd Congressional District. He won by only four percent of the vote. Since then, Raye has served as a state senator for eight years, during which he was the senate president for two years. Michaud admits that this makes his opponent more competitive, but cites his own eight year incumbency in the 2nd District's house seat as giving him the edge.[12]
Media
A complete list of videos featuring Raye's policy positions are available at his campaign website.[13]
Kevin Raye, "Kevin Raye discusses debt & spending"[14] |
Kevin Raye released this official campaign ad on September 25, 2012.[15]
Kevin Raye, "Fighting For Maine Jobs "[16] |
Polls
| Mike Michaud vs. Kevin Raye | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Mike Michaud | Kevin Raye | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| (September 15-17, 2012) | 55.9% | 37.4% | 6.7% | +/-3.35 | 410 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Endorsements
Raye was endorsed by BIPAC (Business and Industry Political Action Committee) on September 26, 2012. BIPAC is a non-partisian group that assists in "identifying and electing pro-prosperity candidates."[17]
2010
- See also: Maine State Senate elections, 2010
Raye won re-election to the 29th District seat in 2010. He had no primary opposition. F. James Whalen ran for the seat on the Democratic ticket. The general election took place on November 2, 2010.[18]
| Maine State Senate, District 29 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Kevin Raye (R)
|
9,927 | 69% | ||
| F. James Whalen (R) | 3,967 | 28% | ||
| Blank | 496 | 3% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Raye ran for District 29 of the Maine State Senate, beating Karen Johnson and Dana Kadey.[19]
Raye raised $19,354 for his campaign.[20]
| Maine State Senate, District 29 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Kevin Raye (R)
|
11,418 | |||
| Karen Johnson (D) | 6,388 | |||
| Dana Kadey (I) | 1,449 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Kevin + Raye + Maine + Senate
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Dennis is married to Karen Raye and reside in Perry, Maine.
External links
- Official Maine State Senate website
- Maine Senate Republicans profile
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2008, 2006, 2004
- Senator Raye's facebook
- Senator Raye's twitter
- State Surge profile - legislative and voting track record
- Kevin Raye for Congress Facebook Page
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 KJ Online, "Raye joining Republican fray for Michaud's seat," accessed September 2, 2013
- ↑ Morning Sentinel, "Raye joining Republican fray for Michaud's seat, His legislative experience and fundraising ability make him a top contender, despite two prior losses in that district," accessed September 2, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Associated Press, "June 10 Election Results," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Associated Press, "Election Results" accessed June 12, 2012
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Maine"
- ↑ Kevin Raye for Congress, "Info" accessed March 17, 2012
- ↑ Mitt Romney for President, "Mitt Romney Announces Support of Additional Maine Elected Officials and Leaders," February 6, 2012
- ↑ Roll Call, "House Republicans Put 36 Recruits ‘On the Radar’" accessed November 21, 2013
- ↑ NRCC Young Guns, "List," accessed March 20, 2014
- ↑ Maine Elections Division, "Election Results" accessed June 12, 2012
- ↑ The State of Maine, "Maine Senate President Kevin Raye announces Congressional bid," January 5, 2012
- ↑ www.Boston.com Maine's 2nd District race features rematch
- ↑ Kevin Raye's Official Campaign Website
- ↑ YouTube channel
- ↑ Kevin Raye's Official Campaign Website
- ↑ YouTube channel
- ↑ Kevin Raye's Official Campaign Website
- ↑ Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, "Official 2010 Election Results," accessed February 18, 2014
- ↑ Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, "Official 2008 State House Election Results," accessed February 18, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money's report on Raye's 2008 campaign contributions
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Maine Senate District 29 2004–2012 |
Succeeded by David C. Burns (R) |
