The Biden for President campaign on Monday announced its leadership team for Maine, which will include Portland City Councilor Spencer Thibodeau.
James Stretch will serve as the Biden campaign’s state director and Thibodeau as senior adviser, according to a news release issued by Biden’s campaign headquarters.
Stretch has more than a decade of campaign experience, having worked on federal, state and local elections. He came to Maine in 2013 and served as deputy finance director in Emily Cain’s bid for the 2nd Congressional District seat. In the last election cycle, Stretch served as regional political director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and worked closely with Jared Golden’s campaign in his successful bid to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin.
Thibodeau, who has represented District 2 on the Portland City Council since 2015, is a well-known political figure in the city. In November, Thibodeau finished second in a ranked-choice voting contest for mayor, losing out to Kate Snyder.
Thibodeau, who was elected to the City Council at the age of 27, is an attorney and is currently chairman of the council’s Sustainability and Transportation Committee and a member of the Economic Development Committee.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he moved to Maine at an early age. He graduate from Fairfield University and the Northeastern University School of Law. He currently serves on the board of United Way of Greater Portland. His pastimes including running and spending time outdoors.
Thibodeau could not be reached for comment Sunday night.
The Biden campaign said the appointments will take effect immediately, describing Stretch and Thibodeau’s roles as senior leadership positions in a state that the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, won from Republican Donald Trump.
But the 2016 presidential election was not a sweep for the Democrats. Trump claimed one Electoral College vote, the first time the state had split its four electoral votes. Clinton got three electoral votes by winning the statewide vote and the 1st District, but lost to Trump in the more conservative, rural 2nd District.
Biden’s campaign outraised Trump’s re-election campaign in May and June. A New York Times poll, conducted in June, also showed that Biden had built a commanding lead over his Republican rival.
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