Maine House of Representatives District 35

Maine House of Representatives District 35 is represented by James Thorne (R).

As of the 2020 Census, Maine state representatives represented an average of 9,030 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 8,828 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the Maine House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits.^[1] Maine legislators assume office the day before the first Wednesday of December following the general election.^[2]^[3]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Section 4 of Part 1 of Article 4 of the Maine Constitution states, "Qualifications; residency requirement. No person shall be a member of the House of Representatives, unless the person shall, at the commencement of the period for which the person is elected, have been 5 years a citizen of the United States, have arrived at the age of 21 years, have been a resident in this State one year; and for the 3 months next preceding the time of this person's election shall have been, and, during the period for which elected, shall continue to be a resident in the district which that person represents.

No person may be a candidate for election as a member of the House of Representatives unless, at the time of the nomination for placement on a primary, general or special election ballot, that person is a resident in the district which the candidate seeks to represent."^[4]

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024^[5]
Salary	Per diem
$16,245.12 for the first regular session. $11,668.32 for the second regular session.	$70/day for lodging (or round-trip mileage up to $0.55/mile in lieu of housing, plus tolls). $50/day for meals.

Term limits

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Maine legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Maine Term Limits Act in 1993. That initiative said that Maine representatives are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms, or a total of eight years.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1993 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 1996.^[1]

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Maine State Legislature, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat.^[6]^[7] The governor must call for an election and inform political committees of the nomination deadline.^[8]^[6]^[7] The person elected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.^[9]

See sources: Maine Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A, § 382 Maine Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A, §366 and Maine Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A, § 381

District map

Redistricting

2020-2022

See also: Redistricting in Maine after the 2020 census

On September 29, 2021, Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed legislation enacting redrawn state legislative district boundaries. The Maine Apportionment Commission approved final maps and submitted them to the legislature on September 27, 2021. The Maine Senate unanimously approved both maps by a vote of 31-0. The Maine House of Representatives approved new district boundaries for the state Senate by a vote of 129-0 and new state House district boundaries by a vote of 119-10.^[10] These maps took effect for Maine’s 2022 legislative elections.

The Maine Wire reported, "The legislature made no changes to the maps the Apportionment Commission submitted, but some legislators did express dissatisfaction with the way districts had been drawn."^[11] Some lawmakers objected to changes made to the composition of their districts, such as Ben Collings (D). After the plans were approved, Collings said, "“I did my best to work with the [apportionment] committee and use the process to make those changes.” “Unfortunately that did not come together for the district I represent.”^[10]

How does redistricting in Maine work? In Maine, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. An advisory commission is also involved in the process. A two-thirds majority is required to approve new district maps, which are subject to veto by the governor.^[12]

The composition of the 15-member advisory redistricting commission is as follows:^[12]

The majority and minority leaders of the Maine State Senate each select two commissioners.
The majority and minority leaders of the Maine House of Representatives each appoint three commissioners.
The chairs of the state's two major political parties (i.e., the Republican and Democratic parties) each appoint one member.
The aforementioned 12 commissioners appoint two more members from the public, "with each party's representatives coordinating to choose one commissioner."
The two public commissioners appoint one additional member.

This commission may make recommendations to the state legislature regarding redistricting, but the legislature is not bound to abide by the commission's recommendations. If the state legislature is unable to pass a redistricting plan, the responsibility falls to the Maine Supreme Court.^[12]

State statutes require that congressional districts be compact and contiguous, In addition, state laws require that congressional districts "cross political subdivision lines as few times as possible."^[12]

The Maine Constitution mandates that state legislative districts be "compact and contiguous, and that they cross political subdivision lines as few times as possible."^[12]

Maine House of Representatives District 35
until December 6, 2022

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Maine House of Representatives District 35
starting December 7, 2022

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Maine House of Representatives District 35

Incumbent James Thorne won election in the general election for Maine House of Representatives District 35 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Thorne (R)	100.0	4,624

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,624
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candace Augustine (D)

Democratic primary election

Democratic Primary for Maine House of Representatives District 35

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Candace Augustine in round 1 .

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
✔	Submit photo	Candace Augustine	100	384	0	Advanced (1)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 384
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Republican primary election

Republican Primary for Maine House of Representatives District 35

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: James Thorne in round 1 .

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
✔		James Thorne	100	986	0	Advanced (1)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 986
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.