Democrat Chris Johnson beat Republican State Representative Dana Dow in the Special Election race on February 14, 2012. Republican’s have controlled the district since 2004 when it was reapportioned. Various Republican PACs spent nearly $26,000 on independent expenditures to support Dow in this Republican stronghold, outspending the Democratic Party by more than four to one. Despite that fact, with all but three towns in the district reporting, Johnson defeated Dow with nearly 54 percent of the vote.

“Residents of Senate District 20 saw they had a chance to send a message to Augusta and they took advantage of it,” said Johnson. “They aren’t happy with the LePage agenda. They don’t feel like their voices are being heard and their concerns are being addressed. Right now, we need to focus on creating jobs, helping the middle class, and rebuilding our economy so that each generation in Maine is better off than the next one. Instead, LePage is proposing policies that are costing us jobs and putting Maine families in harms way.”

“Last night’s victory was a repudiation of the Republicans and their out of touch agenda,” said Ben Grant, chairman of the Maine Democratic Party. “It’s becoming clear to voters that only one party cares about working families, only one party is working to put more money in to the pockets of middle-class families, only one party defends our most vulnerable, and only one party has your back … and that’s the Democratic Party.”