Alfond to LePage: Swear in Deschambault today
Sen. Justin Alfond speaks with reporters after Gov. Paul LePage refused to swear in Sen.-elect Susan Deschambault, center, in pink jacket.
AUGUSTA — Senate Democratic Leader Justin Alfond on Monday demanded that Gov. Paul LePage immediately administer the oath of office to Susan Deschambault, the duly elected senator-elect from Senate District 32.
On Friday, Gov. LePage canceled a swearing-in ceremony for Deschambault, after asking her to come to Augusta and begin her work for the more than 38,000 constituents in her district. This weekend, several news outlets reported that LePage is “ready” to administer the oath of office.
However, Sen.-elect Deschambault has not yet been invited back to Augusta, and as of Monday morning, no date has been set for Sen.-elect Deschambault to be sworn in.
“If the governor’s ready, there’s no reason to wait,” said Sen. Alfond. “Susan Deschambault is ready to work. The people Alfred, Arundel, Biddeford, Dayton, Kennebunkport and Lyman should not be denied representation in the Maine Senate a moment longer.”
Sen.-elect Deschambault, a Democrat, won the special election in Senate District 32 on Tuesday, March 29, with a commanding margin. LePage has asked Sen.-elect Deschambault to come to Augusta on April 1 to be sworn in. However, when Sen.-elect Deschambault and her family arrived at the governor’s office, a member of his staff said the governor would not swear her in.
Senate District 32 has been without representation in the Maine Senate since January 28, when former Sen. David Dutremble resigned for personal reason.
The governor has claimed he has five days to swear in Sen.-elect Deschambault, alluding to the five-day timeframe available for election results to be challenged. However, Gov. LePage has never waited more than two days to swear in the winner of a special election and, in 2015, he administered the oath of office to Republican Cathy Manchester while the election was being contested.
Ultimately, Manchester lost on a recount, and Sen. Cathy Breen was seated.
###
