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| Maine State Senate District 20 | ||
| Current incumbent | Ned Claxton  | |
Maine's twentieth state senate district is represented by Democratic Senator Ned Claxton.
Maine state senators represent an average of 37,953 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 36,426 residents.
Members of the Maine State Senate serve two-year terms with term limits. Maine legislators assume office after the first Wednesday in December after their election.
Section 6 of Part 2 of Article 4 of the Maine Constitution states, "The Senators shall be 25 years of age at the commencement of the term, for which they are elected, and in all other respects their qualifications shall be the same as those of the Representatives."
Section 4 of Part 1 of Article 4 of the Maine Constitution states, "Qualifications; residency requirement. No person shall be a member of the House of Representatives, unless the person shall, at the commencement of the period for which the person is elected, have been 5 years a citizen of the United States, have arrived at the age of 21 years, have been a resident in this State one year; and for the 3 months next preceding the time of this person's election shall have been, and, during the period for which elected, shall continue to be a resident in the district which that person represents."
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $10,131/year | $38/day for lodging (or mileage and tolls up to $38/day in lieu of housing). $32/day for meals. Set by statute. |
The Maine legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Maine Term Limits Act in 1993. That initiative said that Maine senators are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms, or a total of eight years.
The first year that the term limits enacted in 1993 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 1996.
If there is a vacancy in the senate, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. The Governor must call for an election and allow all political committees representing the vacant seat to set all deadlines. The person elected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.
This district is one of 710 state legislative districts that intersects with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.
The 206 Pivot Counties are located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. The partisan makeup of state legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties is slightly more Republican than the overall partisan makeup of state legislatures throughout the country.
Elections for the office of Maine State Senate will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for June 9, 2020. The filing deadline is March 16, 2020.
Ned Claxton (D) defeated Eleanor Espling (R) in the general election for Maine State Senate District 20 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Ned Claxton (D) |
50.7
|
8,993 |
|
|
Eleanor Espling (R) |
49.3
|
8,758 | |
|
|
Total votes: 17,751 (100.00% precincts reporting) |
Ned Claxton advanced from the Democratic primary for Maine State Senate District 20 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Ned Claxton (D) |
100
|
2,587 |
|
|
Total votes: 2,587 |
Eleanor Espling advanced from the Republican primary for Maine State Senate District 20 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Eleanor Espling (R) |
100
|
2,255 |
|
|
Total votes: 2,255 |
Elections for the Maine State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 14, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 15, 2016.
Incumbent Eric Brakey defeated Kimberly Sampson in the Maine State Senate District 20 general election.Maine State Senate, District 20 General Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Eric Brakey Incumbent |
61.37% | 13,047 | |
| Democratic | Kimberly Sampson | 38.63% | 8,214 | |
| Total Votes | 21,261 | |||
| Source: Maine Secretary of State | ||||
Maine State Senate, District 20 Democratic Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kimberly Sampson (unopposed) |
Maine State Senate, District 20 Republican Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | |
|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Brakey Incumbent (unopposed) |
Elections for the Maine State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for party candidates wishing to run in this election was March 17, 2014. The deadline for write-in candidates to run in the primary election was April 28, 2014, and the deadline for non-party candidates to run in the general election was June 2, 2014. District 15 incumbent John Cleveland ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Eric Brakey was unopposed in the Republican primary. Brakey defeated Cleveland in the general election.
Maine State Senate District 20, General Election, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Brakey |
56.5% | 10,138 | |
| Democratic | John Cleveland Incumbent | 39.8% | 7,144 | |
| None | Blank Votes | 3.7% | 668 | |
| Total Votes | 17,950 | |||
Elections for the office of Maine State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 12, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 15, 2012. Incumbent Chris Johnson (D) defeated Leslie Fossel (R) in the general election and was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Fossel defeated Stuart Smith in the Republican primary.
Maine State Senate, District 20, General Election, 2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Chris Johnson Incumbent |
50.4% | 10,943 | |
| Republican | Leslie Fossel | 49.6% | 10,772 | |
| Total Votes | 21,715 | |||
Maine State Senate, District 20 Republican Primary, 2012
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Leslie Fossel |
64.7% | 2,041 |
| Stuart Smith | 35.3% | 1,115 |
| Total Votes | 3,156 | |
From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Maine State Senate District 20 raised a total of $556,749. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $24,206 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
Campaign contributions, Maine State Senate District 20
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $68,563 | 2 | $34,282 |
| 2014 | $62,452 | 2 | $31,226 |
| 2012 | $129,685 | 5 | $25,937 |
| 2010 | $48,215 | 3 | $16,072 |
| 2008 | $49,999 | 2 | $25,000 |
| 2006 | $25,235 | 2 | $12,618 |
| 2004 | $123,803 | 3 | $41,268 |
| 2002 | $32,223 | 2 | $16,112 |
| 2000 | $16,574 | 2 | $8,287 |
| Total | $556,749 | 23 | $24,206 |
