socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
political party in the U.S. state of
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
. During its first incarnation in the early 20th century, prominent members included naturalist
Norman Wallace Lermond Norman Wallace Lermond (July 27, 1861 – Spring 1944) was an American naturalist and socialist activist. Lermond helped found the People's Party (United States), People's Party (the so-called "Populists") in Maine. and in 1892, Lermond ran for ...
of
Warren
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...
George Allan England
George Allan England (9 February 1877 - 26 June 1936) was an American writer and explorer, best known for his speculative and science fiction. He attended Harvard University and later in life unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Maine. England wa ...
of
Woodstock
Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
, each of whom ran for governor as Socialist Party nominees.
1900-1916
1916
At its 1916 convention in Portland, the Socialist Party nominated
James F. Carey
James Francis Carey (August 19, 1867 in Haverhill, MassachusettsSurry for United States Senate, Frank H. Maxfield of Portland for governor, and Melville A. Floyd also of Portland for state auditor. Carey had previously served in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
from 1899 to 1903. The party's platform included
equal suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...
, public insurance, pensions for mothers and elders, a minimum wage, abolition of the U.S. Senate, equalization of funding for schools, and conservation of water power. In the September election, Carey finished in third place with 1,520 votes (1%). The party's presidential nominee,
Allan L. Benson
Allan Louis Benson (November 6, 1871 – August 19, 1940) was an American newspaper editor and author who ran as the Socialist Party of America candidate for President of the United States in 1916 United States presidential election, 1916.
Biogra ...
, received 2,177 votes (1.6%).
2016-18
In January 2016, former Green Independent Party candidates Seth Baker and Tom MacMillan announced their intention to break with the Greens and to form a chapter of the Socialist Party. In August of that year,
Socialist Party USA
The Socialist Party USA, officially the Socialist Party of the United States of America,"The article of this organization shall be the Socialist Party of the United States of America, hereinafter called 'the Party'". Art. I of th"Constitution o ...
members established a local in Southern Maine. In April 2017, SPUSA established a second local in Maine, this one based in Eastern Maine. In July 2017, the two locals held a convention in Augusta and formed a statewide party.
In the 2018 elections, the party nominated Maia Dendinger for Maine Senate in the fifth district. Dendinger drew 1,124 votes, or 7.5%. The winner of the race was incumbent Democrat
Jim Dill
James F. Dill is an American entomologist, politician and professor from Maine. A Democrat, Dill serves Maine House of Representatives District 26, comprising Bradley, the Penobscot Nation Voting District, and Old Town. Dill was first elected ...
. As of 2019, the party was no longer listed on the Socialist Party's directory of local organizations and its website had gone inactive.
Presidential nominee results
In 1956,
Darlington Hoopes
Darlington Hoopes (September 11, 1896 – September 25, 1989) was an American politician and lawyer who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a member of the Socialist Party of America. He served as chairman of the Social ...
ran as the final nominee of the Socialist Party of America but was not on the Maine ballot. In 1976, following a split in the Socialist Party,
Socialist Party USA
The Socialist Party USA, officially the Socialist Party of the United States of America,"The article of this organization shall be the Socialist Party of the United States of America, hereinafter called 'the Party'". Art. I of th"Constitution o ...
began running independent candidates with the Socialist Party label. However, no SPUSA presidential nominee appeared on the ballot in Maine between 1976 and 2016.
References
Other reading
* Lermond, Norman W., and Scott M. Martin. ''Autobiography of Norman Wallace Lermond, Maine's Naturalist-Socialist''. Humboldt Field Research Institute, Steuben, Me, 2004.
* Scontras, Charles A., and University of Maine. Bureau of Labor Education. ''The Socialist Alternative: Utopian Experiments and the Socialist Party of Maine, 1895-1914''. The Bureau of Labor Education, University of Maine, Orono, Me, 1985.
* Special Collections,
Raymond H. Fogler Library
The Raymond H. Fogler Library is an academic library at the University of Maine in Orono. The library's collections include approximately more than 1 million volumes, nearly 4 million periodical subscriptions, 1.6 million microfor ...
,
University of Maine
The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...
. Wight (Clement P.) Socialist Party of Maine Papers, 1896–1915. DigitalCommons@UMaine, 2015.
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...