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Sportsman's Alliance of Maine Events Raffles Merchandise Contact us 205 Church Hill Road, Augusta ME 04330 Telephone: 207-622-5503 FAX: 207-622-5596 |
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A very thorough and comprehensive process was followed to award SAM PAC grades and endorsements for candidates for the Maine legislature. SAM’s board of directors awards the grades and makes the endorsement decisions after receiving recommendations from SAM’s executive director and lobbyists. To receive a grade and endorsement, candidates are required to submit a completed survey.
This year SAM extended the deadline for surveys right up to the last minute, Friday, September 8, in order to accommodate replacement candidates and our legislative friends who were tardy in getting their surveys completed. On Sunday, September 10, SAM’s board made its decisions. SAM will continue to accept surveys, and score them for a grade, but the endorsement process is now over.
Grades, scores and other information will be printed in the special election issue of SAM News that goes to all of SAM’s 14,000 members, and this information will also be available on SAM’s website (www.samcef.org).
In the accompanying chart showing grades and endorsements, the candidate’s grade is based on the score received for SAM PAC’s survey, plus consideration of the voting records and support of incumbents. Good grades do not lead automatically to endorsements, which are awarded only to candidates who have a good working relationship with SAM and are known to us.
A grade of n/a indicates that the candidate did not answer enough survey questions to enable us to score the survey and award a grade. We chose not to award low grades for low survey scores, selecting that option only when the candidate actually provided the wrong answers to the questions.
In the far right column of the chart, the word “Champ” indicates an incumbent who stood with SAM in a very courageous vote against the Katahdin Lake project. These incumbents will get special recognition in SAM News.
Any questions about the grades and endorsements may be directed to SAM’s executive director at 622-5503 or george@samcef.org.
SAM PAC Analysis Candidate Applications, Grades, and Endorsements
Prepared by George Smith Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine
2004
Total applications 157 (House 123; Senate 34)
House Democrats 49 applications Endorsed 27 (55%) House Republicans 74 applications Endorsed 43 (58%)
Senate Democrats 16 applications Endorsed 7 (43%) Senate Republicans 18 applications Endorsed 7 (39%)
Total endorsements 84
2006
Total applications 209 (33% increase) (House 153; Senate 56)
House Democrats 65 applications Endorsed 24 (37%) A Grades 35 (54%) House Republicans 84 applications Endorsed 33 (39%) A Grades 60 (71%)
Senate Democrats 26 applications Endorsed 9 35% A Grades 14 (54%) Senate Republicans 30 applications Endorsed 15 50% A Grades 19 (63%)
Unenrolled Candidates 4 applications Endorsed 1 A Grades 2
Total endorsements 82 Total A grades 130
House Incumbents Republicans 36 applications Endorsed 30 83% Democrats 25 applications Endorsed 18 72%
Senate Incumbents Republicans 12 applications Endorsed 10 83% Democrats 11 applications Endorsed 9 82%
House Scorecard
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