Jean Hay Bright

Jean Hay Bright Photo by David Walsh

She ran for Maine’s Second District seat in the House of Representatives in 1994 and for the U.S. Senate in 1996, appearing both times as the progressive candidate in the Maine Democratic primaries.

John Baldacci won the 1994 primary and went on to win the congressional seat vacated by Olympia Snowe, who sought and won her Senate seat that year. She lost the 1996 primary to Joe Brennan, who lost the November Senate election to Susan Collins.

“This is the right time in my life for me to run for office again,” Bright says of her bid to win the Democratic nomination to oppose Snowe in November. “If things work out as I hope they will, I can see Maine voters changing the way this country is run — and changing the world in the process.”

Looking ahead to November, Bright says she is the better Democratic candidate to unseat Snowe.

Bright points out that she would be the first woman to oppose Snowe in an election, adding that she scores better than Snowe with voters on women’s issues.

She says she is ready to tackle more than woman’s issues in Washington, however, including the War in Iraq, which she describes as “wrong to get in, time to get out,” universal health care and “real national security.”

“When you get beyond women’s issues, the contrast is striking,” Bright said. “The people of Maine are ready to send a progressive to Washington to clean up the mess.”

Eric Mehnert

Eric Mehnert

“The last time our government was more out of touch with the concerns of most Americans, William McKinley was President and Congress was under the influence of the coal and oil companies,” he said. “This President and his GOP allies in Congress are leading America in the wrong direction.

“I am seeking your help to do what I do best, propose and execute a different vision of leadership that rises from the people and comes from our shared values.”

As a private-practice lawyer, Mehnert has focused on civil rights issues, working on employment discrimination cases, housing discrimination cases and defending the rights of clients who have been institutionalized.

He believes his experience in the legal profession gives him an edge in opposing Snowe for the U.S. Senate.

“Mr. Mehnert has 21 years of legal experience fighting for the rights of Mainers in the state courts, state appellate courts, federal courts, federal appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court,” said James Cox, senior policy advisor for the Mehnert campaign. “His unique skill set enables him to analyze the critical issues of our times, write a plan and take action.”