Party History
The Republican Party formed in Maine in 1854 due to Prohibition and the abolitionist movement. Hannibal Hamlin left the Democratic Party because of the slavery issue and helped form the Republican Party and he was the state's first Republican governor. In 1860, he became the first Republican Vice President after Abraham Lincoln won the presidency.
From the 1860s until 1900, James G. Blaine rose as a dominant Republican figure. He was the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, a U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State for three Republican administrations. He ran for President in 1884 but lost to Grover Cleveland. In the late 1800s, Thomas B. Reed served in the House of Representatives for three terms. He started many reforms and was sometimes referred to as "Czar Reed". "Reed's Rules of Order" are still used in Maine Legislatures.
Except for rare lapses, the Republicans dominated Maine politics until 1954, when young progressives from the Democratic Party gained strength.
Margaret Chase Smith was the first American woman elected to serve in both houses of Congress(elected to the House of Representatives in 1940 and the Senate in 1948.) In 1964, she was placed in the nomination for presidency at the Republican National Convention.
Read more about this topic: Maine Republican Party
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