Paul LePage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul LePage
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LePage in 2017
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| 74th Governor of Maine | |
| In office January 5, 2011 – January 2, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | John Baldacci |
| Succeeded by | Janet Mills |
| 50th Mayor of Waterville | |
| In office January 6, 2004 – January 5, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Nelson Madore |
| Succeeded by | Dana Sennett |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Paul Richard LePage
October 9, 1948 Lewiston, Maine, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
Sharon Crabbe
(m. 1971; div. 1980)Ann DeRosby
(m. 1984) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Husson University (BS) University of Maine (MBA) |
Paul Richard LePage (born October 9, 1948) is an American businessman and politician. He served as the 74th governor of Maine from 2011 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Before becoming governor, LePage was the mayor of Waterville, Maine. He held that role from 2004 to 2011. He also served as a city councilor for Waterville from 1998 to 2002.
LePage was first elected mayor of Waterville in 2003. He was reelected in 2008. He then ran for governor of Maine in the 2010 election. He won with 37 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2014 with 48 percent of the vote.
As governor, he used his veto power often. He vetoed 652 bills by July 2018. This was more than all Maine governors in the previous 100 years combined. LePage was sometimes criticized for making controversial comments.
Maine's term limit laws meant LePage could not seek a third term right away. Janet Mills became the next governor. After leaving office, LePage said he would retire from politics. He moved to Florida. But in 2021, he announced he would run for governor again. He lost to Janet Mills in the 2022 election. After his loss, he returned to Florida.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Paul LePage was born in Lewiston, Maine, on October 9, 1948. He was the oldest of eighteen children. His parents were of French Canadian descent. He grew up speaking French in a poor home.
When he was eleven, he ran away from home. He lived on the streets of Lewiston. He sometimes stayed in horse stables. After about two years, he started working. He shined shoes and washed dishes. He also hauled boxes for a truck driver. Later, he worked at a rubber company and a meat-packing plant. He was also a short order cook and bartender.
LePage was the only one in his family to finish 8th grade. He graduated from Lewiston High School in 1967.
LePage applied to Husson College in Bangor. He was first rejected because of a low SAT score. English was his second language. State Representative Peter Snowe helped him. LePage took a written exam in French. This showed his reading skills and helped him get into college. At Husson, he improved his English. He became editor of the college newspaper. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Later, he earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maine.
Early Career and Public Service
LePage worked for a lumber company in New Brunswick, Canada. This company was owned by his first wife's family. He worked there from 1972 to 1979. Later, he worked for Scott Paper in Winslow, Maine. He also started his own business. It was a consulting firm that helped struggling companies. In 1996, LePage became general manager of Marden's Surplus and Salvage. This is a discount store chain in Maine.
LePage served two terms as a Waterville city councilor. Then he became mayor in 2003. He stayed mayor until he became governor in 2011. As mayor, he changed how city hall worked. He lowered taxes. He also increased the city's savings from $1 million to $10 million.
Governor of Maine
Becoming Governor in 2010
On September 22, 2009, LePage announced he would run for governor. He wanted to be the Republican candidate in 2010. He won the primary election with 38% of the vote. He was outspent by other candidates. His campaign focused on his life story. They also highlighted his success as a mayor and a business leader.
In the main election, LePage had support from Tea Party activists. He ran against a Democrat and three independent candidates. He won with 38.1% of the votes. He was the first governor of French-American descent in Maine. He was also the first Republican governor since 1990. In his victory speech, LePage promised to make government smaller. He also wanted to lower taxes and reduce business rules.
Reelection in 2014
On May 7, 2013, LePage said he would likely run for re-election in 2014. He had already started raising money for his campaign. He later confirmed he would run again.
On November 5, the Bangor Daily News announced LePage had won. He defeated Democratic Congressman Mike Michaud and independent candidate Eliot Cutler. He received 48.2% of the vote.
Time as Governor
As governor, LePage tried to change child labor laws. He suggested a lower minimum wage for young workers. He also thought children aged 12 and up should be able to work more. He said this would help the economy.
LePage used social media to talk about his plans. He was the first Maine governor to use Twitter for his State of the State address.
He issued 642 vetoes during his time as governor. This was a record. It was more than all his predecessors since 1917 combined. Most of his vetoes happened after Democrats gained control of the Legislature in 2013. In 2015, he promised to veto every bill from a Democrat. He did this because his plan to remove Maine's income tax was rejected.
LePage supported Donald Trump for president in 2016. He had first supported Chris Christie.
Pardons and Voting Changes
While governor, LePage issued 236 pardons to 115 people. A pardon is when a governor forgives someone for a crime.
During his time, Maine changed its voting system. It went from plurality voting to ranked-choice voting. In plurality voting, the person with the most votes wins, even if it's not a majority. Ranked-choice voting lets voters rank candidates. LePage had won his elections with a plurality, not a majority. This change was approved by voters in 2016. LePage was against this new voting system.
Economy and Jobs
LePage believed it was too hard and expensive to start a business in Maine. He wanted to make it easier. He was against raising any taxes. He supported a 5% flat tax for households earning over $30,000.
He criticized Maine's child labor laws. He said the minimum work age of 16 was hurting the economy. He thought children as young as 12 could work some hours. He believed this would teach them a good work ethic. He proposed allowing businesses to pay young workers a training wage. These ideas did not pass the Legislature.
LePage was against expanding casino gambling in Maine. He thought it would hurt existing casinos. He also said he would sign a bill to get rid of the Maine State Lottery. He believed it mainly affected poor people.
He vetoed bills to increase Maine's minimum wage. He thought wages should increase by creating better-paying jobs. He wanted to do this by lowering energy costs and taxes.
Education Goals
LePage supported a school voucher system. This system helps students attend private schools. He also wanted to pay teachers based on their performance. He believed local school boards should decide what is taught.
He signed a bill in 2011 to use Common Core State Standards Initiative in Maine. But by 2013, he was against them. He worried about federal control over education. He also worried about student privacy. He issued an order to stop the Maine Department of Education from using federal standards.
In 2013, LePage gave $10,000 to a program. This program helped new immigrants learn English. He met with Somali immigrants to announce this. He talked about how immigrants faced challenges getting education and jobs. He related to this because French was his first language.
Environment and Energy
LePage did not agree with the scientific view on climate change. He believed it might even be helpful. He thought the melting of arctic ice could open new shipping routes for Maine.
He supported more use of fossil fuels. He vetoed clean energy bills. He also tried to remove environmental rules. He was the only Atlantic coast governor to support offshore oil drilling.
LePage criticized wind power. He thought it made electricity too expensive in Maine. He believed that hydroelectric power was a better renewable energy source. He said wind power could not provide enough energy for the state.
Government Changes
LePage believed the state government was too big. He wanted to reduce the number of state employees.
He wanted to remove term limits for Maine lawmakers. He said these limits led to less experienced politicians.
LePage also criticized how citizens could propose new laws. He thought the process should be changed. He believed people did not always understand what they were voting for.
Health Care and Medicaid
LePage wanted to cancel the federal health care law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He thought it was unconstitutional. He called it a huge tax. He also compared the agency enforcing it to the "new Gestapo".
He believed MaineCare, the state Medicaid program, had too many people enrolled. He thought it was too easy to qualify for. He vetoed bills to expand MaineCare six times. After voters approved expanding Medicaid in 2017, LePage refused to do it. He said there was no money for it. He even said he would rather go to jail than expand it without proper funding.
Taxes and Welfare
LePage wanted to get rid of Maine's income tax. He believed it stopped the state's economy from growing. He proposed a change to the state's constitution to do this.
He wanted to change welfare rules. He supported limits on how long people could receive welfare. He also wanted people to work in the community to get benefits. He believed that many able-bodied people in Maine were not working.
LePage wanted to reform how EBT cards were used. These cards provide welfare benefits. He suggested putting photos on the cards to stop fraud. He also wanted to prevent people from buying alcohol or cigarettes with them. He said he would stop the entire EBT program if the federal government did not let Maine fight fraud.
He was against giving welfare money to people who were in the country illegally. He threatened to cut state funding to towns that did this.
2022 Gubernatorial Campaign
LePage ran for governor again in 2022. He wanted a third term, but not in a row. He had no opponents in the Republican primary. He was endorsed by U.S. Senator Susan Collins. However, he lost to Janet Mills in the general election.
Awards and Honors
- In 2006, LePage was named businessman of the year by the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce.
- In 2007, he was called "Maine Business Champion" by a business group.
- He received an honorary degree from Thomas College in 2012.
- In 2013, he received an award for his work in suicide prevention.
- In 2019, he received another honorary degree from the University of Maine System. This was for his support of education.
Personal Life
In 1971, Paul LePage married Sharon Crabbe. Her family owned a lumber business in Canada. They had two daughters. They divorced in 1980.
LePage married Ann DeRosby in 1984. They have two children. Since 2002, a young man from Jamaica has also lived with them. LePage calls him an adopted son.
In 2014, LePage and his wife bought a home in Boothbay, Maine. They planned to live there after he left office. Before the 2018 election, he said he would move to Florida. He wanted to become a legal resident there to pay less in taxes. He sold the Boothbay home.
In 2019, he returned to Maine to work as a bartender. His wife already worked there as a server. After the 2022 election, LePage returned to Florida.
He describes himself as a "French Catholic" who believes in God.
In 2017, LePage shared that he had surgery to lose weight. He lost 50 pounds. His doctor had warned him about the risk of diabetes.
Images for kids
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LePage speaking at an event honoring the Maine National Guard at the University of Maine in 2011
