While most people were picking out green outfits, drinking lots of beer or otherwise wasting time on St. Patrick’s Day, one select group of folks were bracing for potential fame and fortune as hopeful members of the 2015 Maine Legislature.
The deadline for wannabe state representatives and state senators came and went at 5 p.m. on March 17.
Given the impacts of last year’s legislative redistricting and Maine’s term limits law, voters will be faced with a healthy crop of fresh faces.
But you can always count on a few perennial candidates: those who think the next campaign will be the magic campaign, the Wonka Golden ticket that will admit them into the strata of being really important and somewhat relevant. Such is the case in Biddeford, where Perry Aberle — undaunted by two consecutive and somewhat epic campaign failures — has once again tossed his hat into the ring seeking to capture a legislative seat that eluded him two years ago by a hefty margin.
Now that he has tossed his hat into the ring again, hopefully, someone will toss him back a working razor.
Aberle won his last election nearly two decades ago, when he was still in high school and was elected to serve one term on the Biddeford City Council. Since then, his campaign skills have deteriorated.
He ran for the state legislature two years ago and was crushed by incumbent Paulette Beaudoin, the proverbial little old lady who cleaned Aberele’s clock by garnering nearly 64 percent of the vote (2,585-1,471).
A year later, Aberle brushed himself off and decided to challenge Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant. Despite a much larger pool of voters in a city-wide election for mayor, Aberle’s vote total shrunk by more than half, and he finished a distant third in a three-way race that also included former mayor Joanne Twomey. Casavant easily won re-election with 2,377 votes, compared to 720 for Aberle.
Today, Aberle is again running as a Republican for the Maine House of Representatives in District 12, which includes the central and downtown portions of the city. He will face Biddeford businessman Martin Grohman, a Democrat, in the general election.
Will the the third try be the charm for Aberle? Don’t bank on it, would be my advice.
Over in District 11, which includes western portions of the city, Democrats Ryan Fecteau and David Flood will duke it out for their party’s nomination. The winner of that contest will face political newcomer Debi Davis, a Republican, in the November general election.
In the District 32 State Senate race, Democrat David Dutremble will once again bank on his family’s political legacy and last name recogntion to hold onto his seat for another term. Dutremble will once again be challenged by Arundel businessman James Booth who ran for the seat two years ago as an Independent. This time, Booth is running as a Republican. Anything is possible, but Booth is facing an uphill battle in a district that historically favors Democrats.
LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY 
I think that your really brazen to be making some off the comments that your making. If you honestly think that the biddeford area is the bread and butter of maine, you sir are wrong. Take a good look around you Randy. Let me ask you what you see, because I see dirty needles and nip bottles everywhere, and city parks are included. I no longer live in biddeford, but I was born and raised there, and the dramatic increase in drug abuse, pan handlers and robberies is cause for alarm. I’ve read some of what you have written and I’m appalled, all you do is criticize people and everything seems to be politically motivated with you. There are way bigger issues in biddeford than who is running for what, and I have to be honest with you anyone who knows Perry aberle knows that he is looking at the bigger picture and that he isn’t looking for fame nor fortune, he is looking for change. Let me ask you, Randy seaver, when was the last time you helped the unfortunate, when was the last time you left your watchtower. Do you really have any idea what is going on around you. I guess not, because then you would see so many concerning things that aren’t for the faint of heart.
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Deleted my comment? Why?
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First off let’s get the totals right Rand after all you are a journalist who likes to base your stories on fact. The 2012 numbers were Paulette 2588 to my 1474. Let’s look at it this way. I lost the election by 558 votes with just over 4000 votes. I certainly was not trounced as you like to put it. Also both my lost elections were with incumbents and collectively 60 years political experience to my 2 years 20 years ago. Paulette in her final term didn’t even make a 50% attendance rate and my opponent Martin Grohman had already mentioned that he barely has time himself to serve in the legislature. Also Randy there’s an independent candidate. Thank god we live on a country were if I decide to run every year I can. Instead of being a coward and hiding behind candidates you think will win so you can feel ever so important. Randy I got 9 phone calls from folks who read your column and all them say too bad Randy is all talk and no game.
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Perry: The numbers come from the City Clerk’s office linked here: http://www.biddefordmaine.org/vertical/sites/%7BFAD9934F-594E-4DFE-8950-698C92DACFDD%7D/uploads/Election_Results_11-6-2012(1).pdf
Also, why did you give me an unsolicited phone call in February of this year to specifically tell me you were not running for the seat? Good luck to you, but I still have $100 that says you lose. Funny, no one is willing to take me up on that wager. Hmmm.
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I told you I wasn’t running for the same seat… And I’m not… After I saw I was in a different district and Rep. Rochelo wasn’t running for reelection it became an open seat. I decided to run. My signatures were done on Monday morning and papers were filed that afternoon in Augusta 4 hours before deadline…
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Maine also never went blue until Clinton and now it does all the time. So to say it’s out of the realm of plausibility is nonsense. Will Perry be that man? Maybe,maybe not. Your reasoning is as faulty as your English language skills.
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Did you actually just compare a presidential election to a Biddeford House seat? You need to get off my site and get some of your much-need IQ points back. I also find it hilarious that you don’t have the guts to reveal your identity, but I have an observation: I moved on to a new blog post, yet you continue cheerleading for Aberle?? It seems like you need to get a life and move on. If you think differently, man up, say who you are and accept my wager challenge.
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I’m not in favor of Perry.In fact, I was a vocal about his lack of decent ideas for the city and the fallacious arguments he put forth during the last election. Point was to show the gaps in your thinking. Yes, you can compare a White House run with a local run. Anything could change for whatever reason. Unlikely? Sure. Has it happened? .Shifts happen and outlooks change. Gambling is illegal in most places. Go to Nevada if you want me to wager.
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I swear my I.Q. dwindles every time I read your blog. Your entire argument against Perry is that he lost a mayors race, twice? You cannot even name a factual reason he should run and you cannot even defuse his positions. His positions are really an issue. If Perry should not run because he lacks potential, then it stands to reason you shouldn’t argue or write. We both know that’s never going to happen. Maybe try, oh I don’t know, to write an article with some substance instead of insulting people’s intelligence with appeals to emotion and other fallacious trains of thought.
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Hey there, “Someone”
1.) I really admire your courage in posting anonymously. nice!
2.) I concur with your theory, you do seem to be losing IQ points, and you apparently have damn few to spare. Have you considered not reading?
3.) Aberle lost two consecutive races; one for the mayor’s seat and the other for the same House seat that he is again seeking.
4.) We will be happy to refund the full amount of your subscription. Maybe you could use that money for a reading comprehension course. Cheers!
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Losing two elections doesn’t mean you cannot win, you mental invalid. Regan lost quite a few and he became president. Your entire argument is invalid.
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Got $100 that says Aberle gets smoked, decimated, creamed, run over and tossed out with yesterday’s garbage. But you should take the advice I offered earlier and not bet against me. You may also want to look at city records and determine when was the last time a Republican won in that part of the city for the Legislature. Thank you for still reading! 🙂
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Randy I’m actually seeking a different house seat. Boy your facts are a good as the toilet paper they are written on. Randy I volunteer at the in a pinch no food pantry for people in need of general toiletries. We operate on the 2nd and 4th tuesday of each month. Your welcome anytime.
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