1st District Congressional Candidate Thelander Outraises Pingree Nearly 3-to-1 Among Maine Contributors

Bristol, Maine, July 21, 2022 – Ed Thelander, Republican candidate for Maine’s 1st Congressional District, today announced that he has outraised his opponent Congresswoman Chellie Pingree when it comes to individual Maine donors. A breakdown of donations by state shows that Pingree, who has held this seat for 14 years, has only collected a total of $50,938 from Maine residents over the course of her 2022 re-election bid. Thelander, who is making his first run for elected office, has raised $140,848 from supporters who call Maine home.

Thelander is also raising more money from individual donations than Pingree, with total individual contributions for the two coming in at $244,754 and $210,300, respectively. “We didn’t come into this race with a magic money list”, Thelander said. “This is a clear indicator that voters are eager for change and accountability in government. Our message is resonating with Mainers who no longer feel represented and are disappointed with Congress. They feel Pingree just doesn’t care about them.”

Thelander, a 21-year veteran of the Navy SEAL Teams, emphasized that, “Nearly half of her donations come from PAC money, corporate donations, and as we now know, most come from out-of-state interests. Her relatively low number shows a lack of local enthusiasm. Our strength has been the many small donations from people we meet while crisscrossing the 1st District.”

Executive Director of the Maine Republican Party Jason Savage stated, “We are seeing tremendous enthusiasm and optimism in the 1st Congressional District around Ed’s candidacy. Ed likes to say that a Red Wave won’t happen unless we make it happen. These fundraising numbers show that Ed is working to create that wave, and that his message is resonating with the voters of Maine.”
A closer look at the numbers shows that Pingree has raked in more than ten times the amount from PACs and committee transfers than Thelander, indicating that she represents corporate donors and not Maine people. “A $5 donation from a struggling lobsterman, a farmer whose future is uncertain, or a retiree who lives on a fixed income in a time of rising inflation means a whole lot more to me than $5,000 in special interest money ever will”, added Thelander.
The full reports for the two campaigns are available to view here for Pingree, and here for Thelander.

If you haven’t yet, and want to join the effort to make the Red Wave happen, or if you want to step up again, click the donate button and add to the list of individual donors who have had enough of Pingree’s absentee representation. We aren’t doing this with corporate money, and we can’t do this without your help! Together let’s make things right!

Source: https://www.mainegop.org/