News around the governor’s race buzzed this week with word that John Jenkins – former legislator and former mayor of both Auburn and Lewiston – might jump into the race as a write-in.

But Jenkins, 58, of Auburn, has a condition: 5,000 people have to support his campaign on the Facebook page “Draft John Jenkins 2B Maine's Governor in 2010.”

Jenkins isn’t the only candidate making a write-in bid.

As of Aug. 25, three unenrolled candidates for governor were registered with the state as write-ins – Beverly Cooper-Pete, Edwin Braley and J. Martin Vachon, who began a run as a Republican, switched to unenrolled and couldn’t get the signatures. Cooper-Pete apparently also had a tough time getting signatures – she was outside the Republican State Convention in May, working to get them.

In the past, any name written would be counted by clerks – hence the perennial “Five votes for Bugs Bunny,” or “15 votes for Mickey Mouse.” But the state now requires write-ins to register to be counted. Essentially, they have to file a “Declaration of Write-in Candidacy” on or before 5 p.m. on the 45th day prior to the election.

Write-ins are extreme long shots, to say the least. But such candidacies have been successful. Just take the case of Jenkins, himself. Three years ago, his write-in campaign put him in Auburn’s mayor’s seat.

As of late Friday afternoon, 1,426 people “liked” the draft Jenkins page.
 

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