Matt Dunlap pokes enjoyable at Paul LePage’s Florida ties in on-line recreation

State Auditor Matt Dunlap’s marketing campaign for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District launched a web site with an internet recreation Tuesday that takes a jab at former Gov. Paul LePage over his residency.

The “Where in the World is Paul LePage?” recreation pokes enjoyable on the Republican contender for transferring between Maine and Florida through the years.

It additionally mentions the Portland Press Herald’s story from final month on how LePage has been utilizing an Augusta condo above a barber store for his listed deal with in the course of the former governor’s 2nd District marketing campaign. The web site argues that LePage “doesn’t seem to live in Maine.”

The recreation consists of 5 questions on LePage’s whereabouts. The “clues” that gamers obtain for every of the 5 rounds are made up: one claims that LePage was noticed “buying sunscreen at a Publix Supermarket;” one other says he was seen “wearing flip-flops in January.” The reply to every spherical’s query is Florida.

Despite the tongue-in-cheek nature of the sport — evinced by its url, lepagelivesinflorida.com — Dunlap is utilizing it to argue that “Mainers need a congressman who shows up — not someone who shows up every couple of years to run for office and then goes back to Florida.”

“While LePage has been out of state, people here have been dealing with rising healthcare costs, hospital closures, and attacks on Medicare and Social Security, all because of Washington dysfunction,” Dunlap, of Old Town, stated in a press release.

LePage and Republicans are assured within the former governor’s possibilities of successful 2nd District seat in November. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a reasonable Democrat, has it held since 2018, however the rural district has backed President Donald Trump in every of his elections.

LePage, 77, and his spouse have owned a house in Ormond Beach, Florida, through the years whereas additionally dwelling in Maine. LePage moved to Florida after he was termed out of the Blaine House in 2019 and have become a Florida resident, however then moved again to Edgecomb for the 2022 gubernatorial comeback bid that he misplaced to Gov. Janet Mills.

LePage, a Lewiston native and former Waterville mayor, then moved again to Florida and was a registered voter in Ormond Beach till he received the itch to run once more in Maine.

He launched his 2nd District bid final May. He is at present throughout the guidelines for House members beneath the U.S. Constitution, which says the member solely must stay within the state and never essentially the district she or he represents by the point of their election.

LePage’s marketing campaign responded to the web “game” from Dunlap, 61, by pointing to LePage’s efforts to lift lots of of hundreds of {dollars} for households of the 2023 Lewiston mass taking pictures victims. A spokesperson stated he has spent each summer time in Maine whereas his spouse, Ann, labored as a waitress in Boothbay Harbor.

The new web site is an instance of “Democrat political consultants trying to make a name for themselves,” the LePage spokesperson stated.