Paul LePage

Paul Richard LePage (; born October 9, 1948) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 74th governor of Maine from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the mayor of Waterville, Maine, from 2004 to 2011 and as a city councilor for Waterville from 1998 to 2002. In 2010, LePage was elected governor, winning with 37% of the vote in a race with four major candidates. In 2014, he was re-elected in a less crowded election with 48% of the vote. During his tenure as governor, LePage made extensive use of his veto power, vetoing 652 bills as of July 2018 – more than all of Maine's governors over the previous 100 years combined. LePage was known for making controversial remarks on various issues. LePage was unable to seek re-election to a third term due to term limits laws in Maine, and was succeeded by Democrat Janet Mills. After initially retiring from politics, he mounted an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2022. In 2025, LePage announced his candidacy for Maine's 2nd congressional district in 2026.