A Democratic state lawmaker said Tuesday that Gov. Janet Mills blocked the Maine Department of Transportation from hiring her because she endorsed independent Rick Bennett in the gubernatorial race.
In response to the claims from Rep. Lydia Crafts, a spokesperson said in a brief written statement that Mills believes that such hiring decisions should be made by the next governor after she leaves the Blaine House in January.
Nonetheless, Crafts’ remarks added a bit of drama to a gubernatorial race that has otherwise felt sleepy due to Democrat Hannah Pingree leading Bennett and Republican Bobby Charles by double digits in public polling.
Crafts, a Newcastle Democrat who is not seeking reelection this year after serving three terms in the Maine House of Representatives, told reporters during a Tuesday morning press gaggle in Augusta that Department of Transportation officials approached her earlier this year to tell her to consider applying for a government affairs-related position after she shared her plans to not run for office again. Crafts, who works as a mental health therapist, had co-chaired the Legislature’s Transportation Committee.
Crafts, 43, said she applied for the job after it was posted and made it through two rounds of interviews alongside other candidates. Crafts said Maine DOT Commissioner Dale Doughty and his department told her in late August that they viewed her as the most qualified candidate.
But Crafts said Doughty and the department informed her that Mills had blocked her hire. Crafts told the Portland Press Herald that Doughty said he had tried multiple times to receive approval to hire her but that “he couldn’t do anything else.”
The reason? Crafts said Mills blocked her hire because of her decision earlier this year to endorse Bennett, a former Republican state senator from Oxford, in the gubernatorial race against Pingree, a former Maine House speaker from North Haven, and Charles, a Leeds lawyer and former assistant U.S. secretary of state. Mills is termed out of office and has endorsed Pingree, who led Mills’ policy office and is the daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine.
“I believe I was being punished for exercising my political independence,” Crafts said Tuesday. “I spoke up for my values, stood for what I believe in and was swiftly punished for stepping out of line.”
Anna Parker, Mills’ deputy press secretary, said in a written statement Tuesday that Mills “believes it is appropriate and right to leave staffing decisions, like for the position at MaineDOT, to the judgment of the next governor — regardless of who they are — so that that person may build out a government they believe is best reflective of the will of Maine people.”
The statement did not directly address Crafts’ claims of political retaliation.
Neither Doughty or a spokesperson immediately responded to requests for comment Tuesday on the claims from Crafts, who also said in an interview that “three or four prominent Mainers” she refused to name have refrained from publicly supporting Bennett’s campaign because they fear retaliation.
Crafts said she endorsed Bennett due to his political independence and her feeling “disheartened” by how her party’s lawmakers and Mills had started passing majority budgets without Republican support while controlling the Legislature.
Bennett echoed Crafts’ claims Tuesday, saying she was blocked from the Department of Transportation job “because she endorsed me” and that “Maine deserves better.”
“That’s not politics,” Bennett said. “That’s punishment.”
Bennett has trailed Pingree and Charles handily in public polling on the gubernatorial race and remained stuck in the single digits. Last week, a New York Times/Press Herald/Siena poll showed Pingree continuing to lead with 48% support, with Charles at 36% and Bennett at 8%.