Bruce Poliquin

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Bruce Poliquin
Image of Bruce Poliquin

U.S. House Maine District 2

Tenure

2015 - Present

Term ends

2019

Years in position

3

Prior offices
Maine Treasurer

Republican Party

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000/year

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 6, 2018

Education

High school

Phillips Academy

Bachelor's

Harvard University (1976)

Personal
Religion
Roman Catholic
Profession
Businessman
Contact

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Official Facebook

Campaign Facebook

Bruce Poliquin is a Republican former representative from Maine's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House. Poliquin was defeated in the general election on November 6, 2018.

He was first elected in 2014.

Poliquin previously was the Treasurer of Maine. Poliquin was first elected in 2010 and served until 2012.[1]

2018 battleground election

See also: Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018

This candidate's election was identified as a 2018 battleground race. The following content comes from our coverage of that election here.

State Rep. Jared Golden (D) defeated Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R), Tiffany Bond (I) and Will Hoar (I) in the November 6, 2018, general election to represent Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

As no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote on the first round, the secretary of state's office implemented ranked-choice voting procedures the week following the election.[2]

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. As of 3:45 p.m. ET on November 12, 2018, eight U.S. House elections remained too close to call. The Democratic Party had gained a net total of 32 seats, winning control of the chamber. This race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the U.S. House in the 116th Congress. Heading into the election, the Republican Party was in the majority holding 235 seats to Democrats' 193 seats, with seven vacant seats. Democrats needed to win 23 GOP-held seats in 2018 to win control of the House. From 1918 to 2016, the president’s party lost an average of 29 seats in midterm elections.

Prior to Poliquin's defeat, no incumbent had lost an election for Maine's 2nd District seat since 1916. Before Poliquin won the seat in 2014, Democrats held it for 20 years.[3] Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 9 percentage points. Donald Trump (R) won the district in 2016 by 10 percentage points.[4]

This was the first general election in Maine for which ranked-choice voting was law, and this race was the first in U.S. history where the process was used to decide a congressional election.[5][6]

Elections

2018

See also: Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018
See also: Maine's 2nd Congressional District election (June 12, 2018 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Maine District 2

Jared Golden (D) defeated incumbent Bruce Poliquin (R), Tiffany Bond (Independent), and Will Hoar (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Maine District 2 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔

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Jared Golden  (D)
 
50.5
 
139,231

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api/storage/uploads/thumbs/75/75/crop/best/Bruce_Poliquin_official_congressional_photo.jpeg

Bruce Poliquin  (R)
 
49.5
 
136,326

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api/storage/uploads/thumbs/75/75/crop/best/BOND_Tiffany_resizedCopy.jpg

Tiffany Bond  (Independent)
 
0.0
 
0

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api/storage/uploads/thumbs/75/75/crop/best/Will_Hoar-20cropped.jpg

Will Hoar  (Independent)
 
0.0
 
0

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source

Total votes: 275,557

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maine District 2

Jared Golden defeated Lucas St. Clair and Craig Olson in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maine District 2 on June 12, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api/storage/uploads/thumbs/75/75/crop/best/JaredGolden.jpg

Jared Golden  (D)
 
54.3
 
23,611

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api/storage/uploads/thumbs/75/75/crop/best/Lucas_St_Clair.jpg

Lucas St. Clair  (D)
 
45.7
 
19,853

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api/storage/uploads/thumbs/75/75/crop/best/Craig_Olson_Color.jpg

Craig Olson  (D)
 
0.0
 
0

There were no incumbents in this race. It has been certified.

Total votes: 43,464

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Maine District 2

Incumbent Bruce Poliquin advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Maine District 2 on June 12, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api/storage/uploads/thumbs/75/75/crop/best/Bruce_Poliquin_official_congressional_photo.jpeg

Bruce Poliquin  (R)
 
100
 
43,047

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. It has been certified.

Total votes: 43,047

Candidate profile

Bruce Poliquin, U.S. representative from Maine
Bruce Poliquin1.jpeg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Republican

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: U.S. representative from Maine's 2nd Congressional District (Assumed office: 2015); Maine state treasurer (2010-2012)

Biography: Bruce Poliquin received a bachelor's degree from Harvard University. After college, he worked as a businessman in Chicago and New York City. He started and managed several businesses, including an investment company for pension funds. In the House, he has served on the Financial Services Committee and the Veterans Affairs Committee.

Key messages
  • Poliquin said his achievements in office include securing veterans' healthcare, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and improving Maine's economy by resisting unfair trade deals.[7][8]
  • Poliquin said he has played a role in passing bipartisan legislation and highlighted his membership on the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, among other bipartisan groups.[7][9]
  • A Poliquin campaign ad referred to Golden as "too radical, too risky for Maine." The ad stated that Golden's healthcare plan would "end Medicare as we know it" and require tax increases that would result in job loss.[10]


Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018
Poll Bruce Poliquin Jared GoldenUndecidedMargin of ErrorSample Size
Emerson College
October 27-29, 2018		 46%47%4%+/-4.9441
NYT Upshot/Siena College
October 15-18, 2018		 41%41%15%+/-4.8501
NYT Upshot/Siena College
September 12-14, 2018		 47%42%11%+/-4.8506
Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. 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 [email protected]

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jared Golden Democratic Party $3,926,270 $3,288,479 $637,790 As of September 30, 2018
Bruce Poliquin Republican Party $3,815,610 $1,764,867 $2,075,074 As of September 30, 2018

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018.

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.


Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[11][12][13]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

  • America First PAC: The America First PAC, an organization that supports President Donald Trump (R), announced their intention to spend $1 million on TV, radio, digital ads, and direct mail in support of Poliquin.[14]
  • American Bankers Association: The ABA announced its support for Poliquin and released an ad describing his opposition to regulations. The association described these regulations as over-regulation that prevented banks from helping job growth through investment.[15] The group spent $250,000 on the cable ad buy.[16]
  • Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF): This super PAC reserved $3.1 million in TV ads toward the race through September 14. The group had released four ads against Golden at that time.[17]
    • Through November 3, the group had spent $3.5 million total on various activities opposing Golden and supporting Poliquin.[18]
  • House Majority PAC: In March, this Democratic-aligned super PAC reserved about $1 million in airtime toward the race, divided between the following markets: $1,008,000 in Portland, $616,000 in Bangor, and $70,000 in Presque Isle.[19]
  • Patients for Affordable Drugs spent more than $1 million on TV, radio, and digital ads opposing Poliquin, according to a September 20 report in the Bangor Daily News "State & Capitol" blog.[20]
  • Patriot Majority USA: The Democratic-aligned Patriot Majority USA released an ad in August criticizing Poliquin's relationship to donors from the insurance industry and his voting record on healthcare. The organization spent about $390,000 on the TV ad and $100,000 on a similar radio ad, Politico reported.[21]
    • The group reported an additional $212,000 in TV ad spending against Poliquin on September 12.[22]
    • The group spent an estimated $549,000 on TV ads in opposition to Poliquin on October 9.[23]
    • Total spending for the group through November 3 was $2.3 million.[18]
  • Sixteen Thirty Fund: Sixteen Thirty Fund spent $40,000 in Maine through an organization called Mainers Against Healthcare Cuts, Politico reported.[24] That organization held a mock retirement party for Poliquin on February 20.[25]
  • With Honor Fund: With Honor Fund, an organization that supports the campaigns of both Democratic and Republican veterans, reported $622,000 in spending on ad production and digital ads in support of Golden in August.[26]

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia reported race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicated if one party was perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage. Race ratings were informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[27][28][29]

Race ratings: Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018
Race trackerRace ratings
October 30, 2018October 23, 2018October 16, 2018October 9, 2018
The Cook Political ReportToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.


2016

See also: Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2016

Maine's 2nd Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Incumbent Bruce Poliquin (R) defeated former state Sen. Emily Cain (D) and Jay Parker Dresser (Write-in) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Poliquin defeated Cain in 2014 to win election to the seat. Neither candidate faced a primary challenger in June.[30][31][32]

U.S. House, Maine District 2 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngBruce Poliquin Incumbent 54.8% 192,878
     Democratic Emily Ann Cain 45.2% 159,081
     N/A Write-in 0.1% 224
Total Votes 352,183
Source: Maine Secretary of State

Poliquin was a member of the National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program. The program was designed to help protect vulnerable Republican incumbents heading into the 2016 election.[33]

2014

See also: Maine's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

Poliquin ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent Maine's 2nd District.[34] He defeated Kevin Raye in the Republican primary on June 10, 2014.[35] The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, Maine District 2 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Emily Cain 40.2% 118,568
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngBruce Poliquin 45.2% 133,320
     Independent Blaine Richardson 10.6% 31,337
     Other Other 0.1% 248
     Blank None 3.9% 11,536
Total Votes 295,009
Source: Maine Secretary of State Official Results
U.S. House, Maine District 2 Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBruce Poliquin 56.8% 19,736
Kevin Raye 43.2% 14,987
Total Votes 34,723
Source: Maine.gov

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Maine, 2012

Poliquin ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. Senate, representing Maine. He was defeated by Charles Summers in the Republican primary.

2010

Peloquin ran for Governor of Maine in 2010, but he lost in the Republican primary.

2010 Race for Governor - Republican Primary[36]
Candidates Percentage
Green check mark.jpgPaul LePage (R) 37.9%
Leslie B. Otten (R) 17.3%
S. Peter Mills (R) 14.4%
Steven W. Abbott (R) 12.8%
Bill Beardsley (R) 9.7%
Bruce Poliquin (R) 5.0%
Matthew C. Jacobson (R) 3.0%
Total votes 131,060

Campaign themes

2018

Campaign website

The following themes were found on Poliquin's campaign website.

“

Creating Good Paying Jobs, Protecting Our Jobs, and Growing Maine’s Economy
I am not a politician; I am a lifelong job creator.

I’ve spent most of my career helping create jobs, growing businesses and aiding the economy. Part of my work also included helping employers like Bath Iron Work secure the pensions of workers.

It is critical the government helps our small businesses and Maine job creators, rather than burdening them with job killing red tape.

As our Congressman I am working each day to help our economy:

• Passing Legislation through the House and Senate, and having it signed into law, to require the removal of an outdated deed restriction which was harming economic development in Eastern Maine.

• Helping protect and secure jobs at Bath Iron Works by ensuring funding for needed Navy Destroyers which aid our national security.

• Successfully fighting unfair trade, achieving significant rulings from the International Trade Commission against Chinese subsidies harming Maine forest products jobs in Aroostook County and jobs at Auburn Manufacturing.

• Opposing the TPP trade deal and fast track authority with Asia which would, on balance, harm Maine jobs.

• Saving hospital jobs at our local regional hospitals by pushing to have federal government reimbursements issued, on time.

• Pushing legislation to allow rural electric cooperatives access credit to better serve small business job creators.

• Voting to kill the death tax which harms Maine small businesses and especially our farms.

• Supporting expedited natural gas permitting to increase the supply and reduce costs for Maine job creators and residents.

• Introducing Legislation to aid family forest products and trucking businesses which wish to train the next generation in the business.

• Personally helping welcome hundreds of new jobs to Maine including OnProcess jobs in Belfast, Collaborative Consulting jobs in Central Maine, and Wayfair jobs in Bangor.

• Passing bipartisan Legislation to protecting clamming and digging jobs around Acadia National Park which were threatened by an encroaching federal bureaucracy.

• Authoring and passing Legislation, including the Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act, to help entrepreneurs and job creators gain the support needed to grow.

• Supporting efforts to limit red tape on our Community Banks and Credit Unions so they have freedom to provide lending to local small businesses.

• Providing support for Maine blueberries by utilizing existing federal programs to protect jobs in the industry.

• Keeping local restaurants, motels and Inns located in major tourism centers in business during the travel season by assisting with the temporary workers needed to keep the doors open.

• Backing significant tax reductions which allow Maine electricity utilities keep rates low, and lower some rates, which aids job creators which rely upon fairly priced electricity.

• Protecting our Lobster industry by opposing restrictions on the sale of lobsters in Europe.

• Working to support legislative changes to encourage apprenticeship in the logging business which still employs thousands of Maine people.

• Fighting bad policy like the medical device tax, which increased health care costs for consumers and threatened hundreds of Maine jobs at Hardwood Products in Guilford, Maine.

• Fighting the change in federal regulations which would have eliminated paper notices for medication used by seniors and cost hundreds of jobs in Madawaska’s paper mill.

• Creating jobs along our border while improving our national security by helping speed up hiring by the Border Patrol and opening up more jobs to Maine people.

A growing economy helps all Maine people and I will continue to put Maine first by fighting for Maine jobs.

Standing Up for Maine's Senior Citizens, Including Protection of Social Security and Medicare
My parents are both in the 80s. As their only living child, I know firsthand the challenges seniors face because I am involved with their care.

When my mom has needed significant medical attention she relied upon Medicare. They rely upon Social Security.

As our Congressman, I have always fought to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare.

In my effort to help Maine’s seniors I have taken these steps:

• Authoring the U.S. House Senior Safe Act, which he successfully passed with bipartisan support, to help protect seniors from being scammed and financially exploited by those who do harm.

• Supporting LIHEAP funding which many seniors rely upon to stay warm in the winter.

• Co-Sponsoring the Biomass Thermal Utilization Act which makes it easier for Maine seniors and families to install more affordable heating options while also supporting jobs in Maine’s forest products industry.

• Introducing the Guaranteed COLA Act which would force the federal government to sell unused buildings and property and use those funds to guarantee COLA increases.

• Co-Authoring the bipartisan Senior Accessible Housing Act to help seniors live more independently by making home accessibility and other changes more affordable so Maine seniors can safely continue living in their own homes.

• Opposing FDA changes which would have eliminated paper medication instructions.

• Working to end the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO which prevent teachers, firefighters and police officers from receiving their full Social Security benefits.

• Supporting tax cut Legislation which helps electrical utilities reduce electricity rates and to lower rate increases to help lower seniors electric bills.

• Working to ensure our Veterans who are Senior Citizens can receive health care closer to home and that the VA is held accountable for medical errors and wait times.

• Protecting our local hospitals by ensuring they receive reimbursements due from the federal government in a timely manner, providing much needed funding to support their operations.

As the son of Senior Citizens, I see firsthand the challenges and issues our Senior Citizens face. I will always be a voice in Congress for Maine’s Senior Citizens.

Protecting Our Hospitals and Healthcare Access
My mother is a retired nurse. I know access to quality healthcare is important in Maine.

As our Congressman I have worked hard to support our hospitals who care for our families, Senior Citizens, individuals, and Veterans. I have also worked for reform to bring down costs and improve care.

These are just some of the steps I have taken:

• Founding and serving as Co-Chairman of the national bipartisan Congressional Rural Hospital Caucus to fight for the needs of Maine’s rural and regional hospitals.

• Advocating for Maine solutions like the invisible risk pools created by the Maine Legislature which guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions while holding down and lowering health insurance costs for Maine people. I continue to advocate for this solution as a national model for reform.

• Working to expand access to VA programs so Veterans have the option of receiving their healthcare closer to home. Through this effort the VA supports our local hospitals and local doctors – which provided them a much needed funding source to keep providing care in our rural communities.

• Continuing to lead efforts to fix bureaucratic threats to the reimbursements our Maine hospitals and doctors need. As a result of my direct efforts, federal officials traveled to Maine meeting directly with local hospitals to fix their reimbursement problems and concerns.

• Holding the Toga VA medical center accountable for a Doctor on staff who was found to be negligent in multiple medical case mishaps.

• Serving as the original co-sponsor of Legislation to repeal the medical device tax, which increased health care costs for consumers and threatened hundreds of Maine jobs at our own health products supplier, Hardwood Products in Guilford, Maine.

• Supporting efforts to Maine people to choose the health plan which works best for them by eliminating the individual mandate which forced Maine people to pay an IRS fine if they did not purchase a government-approved health plan.

• Voting to support the bipartisan Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act which eliminates insurance company protections and creates competition so there is access to more health plan choices.

• Supporting the 21st Century Cures Act which speeds up new and innovative drugs to treat rare and disorders without treatments currently on the market. The legislation also provides for additional health care research that will help our Maine research facilities including Jaxson Labs and MDI Biological Labs in Bar Harbor.

• Standing up for the repeal of what was called the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) which was a failed government formula causing problems for senior citizens attempting to access doctors.

As the son of a nurse, I will continue to work on improving access to affordable, quality health care in Maine.

Ensuring Our Maine Veterans Receive the Care and Respect They Have Earned and Deserve from a Grateful Nation
Our Veterans have earned our respect and deserve the care they were promised and they deserve.

As a Member of the powerful Veterans Affairs Committee in the United States House of Representatives, I am a strong voice for Maine’s Veterans.

I will never forget those who have sacrificed their time, talents – and in some cases their lives – to defend our freedom. That’s why I have taken these steps and more:

• Working to create and expand health care options for Veterans closer to home so they can avoid traveling long distances for every appointment or procedure. While there is still much more to be done, Maine is helping lead the way in implement these new programs.

• Creating a Maine Veterans Advisory Panel made up of Veterans from all over Maine’s 2nd Congressional District to provide direct feedback on issues and problems facing our Veterans.

• Holding VA officials accountable for medical errors which occurred at Togus.

• Introducing legislation to require VA Medical professionals report errors and problems directly to state licensing boards.

• Supporting our Veterans who are also Native Americans by allowing government headstones to be placed at tribal cemeteries, like the one in Aroostook County, through Legislation he has authored in the House.

• Working to increase the number of VA Health Clinics in Maine.

• Voting in support of the VA Accountability bill which makes improvements in the VA.

• Supporting funding increases for the Veterans Administration.

• Joining the Military Veterans Caucus in Congress to work across party lines to fight for Veterans issues.

• Fighting staff shortages in Maine, including those at the Lewiston Vets Center so our Veterans get the care they need.

• Working daily with a dedicated staff to serve the needs of Veterans throughout the 2nd District who bring their problems to the Congressman’s attention.

I know we would not have the nation we have today without our Veterans. I will work to never, ever let them down.

Fighting the Opioid Crisis and Accompanying Crime in our State
I lost a brother who I loved due to substance abuse.

Substance abuse, and especially the opioid crisis, is impacting nearly every citizen in the State of Maine.

We must not let up in our efforts to deal with this problem. That’s why I have taken these steps:

• Serving as a founding member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic.

• Joining efforts of the Congressional Victims Rights Caucus.

• Co-Sponsoring and pushing the adoption of the CRADLE ACT to provide life safe care to addicted newborns.

• Meeting with local law enforcement in Maine to learn about what can be done to support their efforts to thwart the addictive drug trade.

• Supporting funding for Drug Courts, the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, the Anti-Heroin Task Force, and Opioid Prescription Overdose Prevention.

• Visiting local treatment centers in Maine to learn more and provide support for those who are working to get clean and free from drugs.

• Holding Opioid Town Hall Meetings to provide resources and discuss solutions with law enforcement and treatment providers.

• Supporting and co-sponsoring the STOP ABUSE ACT, a comprehensive eradication approach to the heroin epidemic including best practice approaches for law enforcement and treatment.

As someone who’s family has been directly impacted by the death of a loved one due to substance abuse I will not give up on this fight. We can’t give up.

National Security and Terrorism
• Voted for stronger sanctions on Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

• Joined the Terrorism Financing Task Force to help cut off terrorism financing networks.

• Authored and passed bipartisan Legislation to force the disclosure of the secret funds held and used by Iranian terrorist financiers.

• Voted to end the dangerous Iran Nuclear Deal

• Introduced the No Welfare for Terrorist Act, which garnered more than 40 Democrat and Republican co-sponsors, to stop welfare benefits for those convicted of aiding terrorist actors.

• Worked on behalf of BIW jobs by passing Amendments to ensure Navy Destroyer contacts could be completed at the Yard, also helping National Security with these needed ships.

• Helped reform the visa waiver program to prevent terrorist exploitation of our nation’s travel and custom rules.

Women’s Issues
• Joined Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Democratic Representative Jackie Speier in co-authoring and leading the House effort to pass an Anti-Harassment Resolution in the U.S. House. Became the first House Republican, and the lead Republican, on the anti-harassment effort.

• Introduced bipartisan Legislation to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Harrassment in Congress.

• Voted to increase women’s healthcare funding for Maine’s 2nd District Federally Qualified Health Centers.

• Supported Legislation to expand maternity care at the VA.

• To coincide with the centennial of the 19th Amendment, introduced new bipartisan Legislation with Democratic Representative Barbara Lee directing the U.S. Treasury to issue quarters, one from each of the 50 states and the U.S. territories, to honor women who have made significant contributions to America. The governor or executive of each state or territory would recommend a design to the Treasury, in consultation with various stakeholders. If enacted, the quarter program would coincide with the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

• Served as lead Republican co-sponsor working with Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree on the Ruth Moore Act, a bill that will make it easier for survivors of military sexual assault to get the benefits they deserve.

2nd Amendment
• Support Maine’s long outdoor traditions including firearms ownership.

• Defend the Constitutional 2nd Amendment and Maine’s Constitution Section 16.

• Joined calls to investigate and fix the failures in Florida and elsewhere where disturbed individuals got access to firearms.

Welfare Reform
• Introduced Legislation to tighten regulations on replacement electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and banning people convicted of welfare fraud and specific drug trafficking offenses from gaining benefits.

• Sponsored Legislation to ban welfare after release for those convicted of aiding terrorist’s.

• Supported efforts to require work, community service, or striving for educational attainment to receive welfare.

The National Debt
• Introduced Legislation to tighten regulations on replacement electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and banning people convicted of welfare fraud and specific drug trafficking offenses from gaining benefits.

• Sponsored Legislation to ban welfare after release for those convicted of aiding terrorist’s.

• Supported efforts to require work, community service, or striving for educational attainment to receive welfare.

Illegal Immigration & Immigration Reform
• Worked to fix a hiring and recruitment problem for the Border Patrol allowing them to hire more staff for Maine border security.

• Has opposed sanctuary cities, voting for penalties for cities who ignore immigration law.

• Supports improved barriers to tighten America’s borders.

• Supports ending the Visa lottery.

• Opposes amnesty for adults who illegally crossed America’s border.

College Aid
• Introduced The Help All Americans Save for College Act which would improve college savings incentives.

• Voted to strengthen 529 college savings plans while opposing a proposed tax on the plans.

• Voted to strengthen the solvency of the Pell Grant Program.

• Fought to force the U.S. Department of Education to review the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Upward Bound Grant Application which had been rejected on arbitrary document formatting grounds.

Maine’s Environment
• Opposed Oil Drilling in Maine.

• Opposed removing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

• Backed funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to support public lands for hiking, hunting, fishing, and other recreational access. This protects national parks, national wildlife refuges, and national forests.

• Supported National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Funding so their partners like the University of Maine can continue researching and studying our oceans.

• Supported the Department of Defense Climate Change Study.

• Co-sponsored the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2017 to study ocean acidification’s impact on communities like Maine with coastlines.

• Stood against EPA budget cuts in the President’s 2018 budget especially for critical hazardous waste cleanup services like Superfund and Brownfields.

• Co-sponsored the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2017 to study ocean acidification’s impact on communities like Maine with coastlines.

• Urged Congressional leadership to double the funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Maine has one of the oldest water infrastructures in the nation and it needs to be upgraded and supported.

• Voted to support National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

• Supported rules to address coal mining’s impact on our nation’s water systems.

• Joined the Congressional Oceans Caucus, the International Conservation Caucus, and the Estuary Caucus as a voice for Maine.[37]

”
—Bruce Poliquin's 2018 campaign website[9]

Campaign ads

"Fought for Us" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released October 22, 2018
"Maine Veterans Support Congressman Bruce Poliquin" - Poliquin campaign ad, released October 5, 2018
"Maine's Congressman Bruce Poliquin" - Poliquin campaign ad, released September 13, 2018
"Promoting Maine Businesses – Rep. Bruce Poliquin (ME-2)" - American Bankers Association ad, released July 12, 2018


2016

The following issues were listed on Poliquin's campaign website.

“
  • Economy and Jobs: As your next 2nd District Congressman, I’ll use my 35 years of experience owning and managing businesses and creating jobs to help build a more competitive Maine and America. I’ll use my record as Maine State Treasurer to push for fiscal discipline by ending wasteful government overspending and surging debt that are smothering our economy and killing jobs.
  • Spending and Debt: Washington and Augusta politicians always promise they’ll watch the bottom line, but few really do. As Maine State Treasurer, I’ve proven that I practice what I preach.
  • Maine Industries: Maine is home to tens of thousands of small businesses. Our fishing, farming, wood products, tourism, defense, technology, and many other companies are the backbone of our economy and communities throughout the 2nd Congressional District.
  • Improving Health Care: It’s a bad idea for the federal government to take over our free market health care industry.
  • Family Values: I believe in strong family values and in life. I am the only candidate in this Congressional race who is pro-life, and I’m proud of it.

[37]

”
—Bruce Poliquin's campaign website, http://www.poliquinforcongress.com/issues/

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Poliquin's academic, professional, and political career:[38]

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Poliquin was assigned to the following committees:[39]

2015-2016

Poliquin served on the following committees:[40]

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor history

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.
Why is that? While candidates and parties must file detailed expenditure reports, independent organizations and unions are not required to file reports in every case. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer.
Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website.

Comprehensive donor information is shown below. Based on available campaign finance records, Poliquin raised a total of $5,083,985 in elections. Ballotpedia updates the information below in the years following a general election.[123]
Bruce Poliquin campaign contribution history
Year Office Result Contributions
2016 U.S. House, Maine District 2 Won $3,364,891
2014 U.S. House (Maine, District 2) Won $1,719,094
Grand total raised $5,083,985
Source: Follow the Money

2016

Poliquin won re-election to the U.S. House in 2016. During that election cycle, Poliquin's campaign committee raised a total of $3,364,891 and spent $3,358,490.[124] This is more than the average $1.46 million spent by U.S. House winners in 2016.[125]

Cost per vote

Poliquin spent $17.41 per general election vote received in 2016.

U.S. House, Maine District 2, 2016 - Bruce Poliquin Campaign Contributions
Total Raised $3,364,891
Total Spent $3,358,490
Total Raised by Election Runner-up $3,476,318
Total Spent by Election Runner-up $3,425,019
Top contributors to Bruce Poliquin's campaign committee
Quirk Auto$26,100
Credit Union National Assn$17,250
Zweig-Dimenna Assoc$17,200
Varney Agency$16,200
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co$14,500
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Leadership PACs$421,482
Securities & Investment$285,149
Retired$280,475
Insurance$182,850
Candidate Committees$168,165
Source: Open Secrets

2014

Poliquin won election to the U.S. House in 2014. During that election cycle, Poliquin's campaign committee raised a total of $1,719,094 and spent $1,710,616.[126] This is more than the average $1.45 million spent by House winners in 2014.[127]

Cost per vote

Poliquin spent $12.83 per general election vote received in 2014.

U.S. House, Maine District 2, 2014 - Bruce Poliquin Campaign Contributions
Total Raised $1,719,094
Total Spent $1,710,616
Total Raised by Election Runner-up $1,975,987
Total Spent by Election Runner-up $1,969,516
Top contributors to Bruce Poliquin's campaign committee
Zweig-Dimenna Assoc$19,750
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co$17,100
Varney Agency$16,600
Eagle Equipment Rental$10,400
Freedom Project$10,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Retired$237,300
Leadership PACs$115,600
Securities & Investment$104,000
Real Estate$39,250
Automotive$36,075

Below are Poliquin's FEC reports.[128]

Analysis

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Poliquin missed 4 of 527 roll call votes from January 2015 to September 2015. This amounted to 0.8 percent, which was lower than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.[134]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Bruce for Senate, "Biography," accessed November 14, 2012
  2. ↑ WBUR, "Maine's 2nd Congressional District Will Be Decided By Ranked-Choice Voting," November 7, 2018
  3. ↑ Roll Call, "Democrats Look for a Mainer to Take on Poliquin," June 11, 2018
  4. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for the 2016 and 2012 elections," accessed November 19, 2017
  5. ↑ Maine Secretary of State, "Resources for Ranked-choice Voting (RCV)," accessed September 10, 2018
  6. ↑ Maine Public, "Golden Wins Nation's First Ranked-Choice Voting Runoff For A Congressional Seat," November 15, 2018
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bruce Poliquin's 2018 campaign website, "Meet Bruce," accessed September 21, 2018
  8. ↑ Bruce Poliquin's 2018 campaign website, "Congressman Bruce Poliquin Officially Qualifies for Re-Election Ballot," accessed March 13, 2018
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Bruce Poliquin's 2018 campaign website, "Issues," accessed September 21, 2018
  10. ↑ Kantar Media, "Behind This T-Shirt," August 10, 2018
  11. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  12. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  13. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  14. ↑ Portland Press Herald, "Poliquin campaign to get $1 million worth of help from pro-Trump super PAC," August 24, 2018
  15. ↑ Politico, "Bankers poised to pour money, ads into contested races," July 12, 2018
  16. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FILING FEC-1266258, American Bankers Association," accessed October 11, 2018
  17. ↑ Roll Call, "GOP Super PAC Continues Attacks on Maine’s Jared Golden," September 14, 2018
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 ProPublica, "Maine’s 2nd District House Race - 2018 cycle," accessed November 3, 2018
  19. ↑ Roll Call, "House Majority PAC Reserves $43 Million in Airtime for Fall," March 8, 2018
  20. ↑ Bangor Daily News, "Another group is spending $1 million against Poliquin," September 20, 2018
  21. ↑ Politico, "What to Watch in Tonight's Primaries," August 28, 2018
  22. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FILING FEC-1261099," accessed September 19, 2018
  23. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FILING FEC-1266750, Patriot Majority USA," accessed October 12, 2018
  24. ↑ Politico, "Liberal secret-money network hammers House GOP," July 29, 2018
  25. ↑ Mainers Against Healthcare Cuts, "Retirement Party" for Rep. Poliquin Highlights Health Care Votes," February 20, 2018
  26. ↑ Federal Elections Commission, "INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES," accessed September 2, 2018
  27. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  28. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  29. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  30. ↑ Centralmaine.com, "Cain seeks 2016 rematch for Maine’s 2nd District seat," March 3, 2015
  31. ↑ Bangor Daily News, "Bangor City Councilor Joe Baldacci to run for US House seat," July 29, 2015
  32. ↑ CNN, "Election Results," accessed November 8, 2016
  33. ↑ NRCC, "Patriot Program," accessed May 4, 2015
  34. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named run
  35. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named defeat
  36. ↑ WCSH6, "Voice of the Voter, Maine Primary Results," June 8, 2010
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  38. ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Bruce Poliquin," accessed January 26, 2015
  39. ↑ U.S. House Clerk, "Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States One Hundred Fifteenth Congress," accessed February 2, 2017
  40. ↑ U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, "Committee Information," accessed February 18, 2015
  41. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 284," June 21, 2018
  42. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 282," June 21, 2018
  43. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 205," May 18, 2018
  44. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 549," October 3, 2017
  45. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 344," June 29, 2017
  46. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 342," June 29, 2017
  47. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 256," May 4, 2017
  48. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 405," September 26, 2018
  49. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 399," September 13, 2018
  50. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 313," June 28, 2018
  51. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 257," June 8, 2018
  52. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 216," May 22, 2018
  53. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 127," March 22, 2018
  54. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 69," February 9, 2018
  55. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 60," February 6, 2018
  56. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 44," January 22, 2018
  57. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 33," January 18, 2018
  58. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 708," December 21, 2017
  59. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 692," December 19, 2017
  60. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 670," December 7, 2017
  61. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 637," November 16, 2017
  62. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 589," October 26, 2017
  63. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 557," October 5, 2017
  64. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 528," September 14, 2017
  65. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 480," September 8, 2017
  66. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 441," September 6, 2017
  67. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 299," June 8, 2017
  68. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 249," May 3, 2017
  69. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 230," May 24, 2018
  70. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 49," January 30, 2018
  71. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 631," November 14, 2017
  72. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 435," July 27, 2017
  73. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 413," July 25, 2017
  74. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 437," July 28, 2017
  75. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 407," July 24, 2017
  76. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 378," July 14, 2017
  77. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 136," March 8, 2017
  78. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 113th Congress," accessed April 29, 2015
  79. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 114th Congress," accessed January 5, 2017
  80. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress," April 13, 2015
  81. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 361," June 12, 2015
  82. ↑ Roll Call, "Deadline for TAA Do-Over Vote Extended to July 30," June 15, 2015
  83. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 362," June 12, 2015
  84. ↑ Roll Call, "Deadline for TAA Do-Over Vote Extended to July 30," June 15, 2015
  85. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 374," June 18, 2015
  86. ↑ Politico, "Trade turnaround: House backs new power for Obama," June 18, 2015
  87. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 388," June 24, 2015
  88. ↑ The Hill, "Obama signs trade bills," June 29, 2015
  89. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 239," accessed May 27, 2015
  90. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R. 1735," accessed May 27, 2015
  91. ↑ The Hill, "Redone defense policy bill sails through House," accessed November 12, 2015
  92. ↑ Congress.gov, "S. 1356," accessed November 12, 2015
  93. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 618," accessed November 12, 2015
  94. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1356)," accessed November 12, 2015
  95. ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Con.Res.11," accessed May 5, 2015
  96. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 183," accessed May 5, 2015
  97. ↑ The Hill, "Republicans pass a budget, flexing power of majority," accessed May 5, 2015
  98. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015," accessed November 1, 2015
  99. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 579," accessed November 1, 2015
  100. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314)," accessed November 1, 2015
  101. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1191 - Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015," accessed May 16, 2015
  102. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 226," accessed May 16, 2015
  103. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 3461," accessed September 11, 2015
  104. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 493," accessed September 11, 2015
  105. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 3460," accessed September 10, 2015
  106. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 494," accessed September 11, 2015
  107. ↑ Congress.gov, "H Res 411," accessed September 10, 2015
  108. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 492," accessed September 10, 2015
  109. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 597," accessed November 2, 2015
  110. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 576," accessed November 2, 2015
  111. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.2048," accessed May 26, 2015
  112. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 224," accessed May 26, 2015
  113. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 36 - the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," accessed May 16, 2015
  114. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "HR 36," accessed May 16, 2015
  115. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1731," accessed November 2, 2015
  116. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 173," accessed November 2, 2015
  117. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1560 - Protecting Cyber Networks Act," accessed November 1, 2015
  118. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 170," accessed November 1, 2015
  119. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 4038 - the American SAFE Act of 2015," accessed November 20, 2015
  120. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 643," accessed November 20, 2015
  121. ↑ Politico, "GOP freshmen urge party to avoid shutdown," September 23, 2015
  122. ↑ Bruce Poliquin for Congress, "Issues," accessed February 4, 2015
  123. ↑ The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties, likely representing only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. See this page for more details.
  124. ↑ Open Secrets, "Career Fundraising for Bruce Poliquin," accessed May 11, 2017
  125. ↑ Open Secrets, "Winning vs. Spending," accessed March 22, 2016
  126. ↑ Open Secrets, "Bruce Poliquin 2014 Election Cycle," accessed April 7, 2015
  127. ↑ Open Secrets, "Winning vs. Spending," accessed April 7, 2015
  128. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Bruce Poliquin 2014 Summary reports," accessed November 11, 2013
  129. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed November 11, 2013
  130. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "July Quarterly," accessed November 11, 2013
  131. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "October Quarterly," accessed November 11, 2013
  132. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Year End Report," accessed March 4, 2014
  133. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed May 12, 2014
  134. ↑ GovTrack, "Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R)," accessed October 1, 2015
Political offices
Preceded by
Mike Michaud (D) 		U.S. House of Representatives - Maine District 2
2015–present 		Succeeded by
NA
Preceded by
- 		Maine State Treasurer
2010–2012 		Succeeded by
Neria Douglass
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