Kevin L. Raye (born February 7, 1961) is an American politician. Raye is a member of the Republican Party and served as a member of the

Maine Senate The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constituti ...

, representing the 29th district in northeastern Washington County from December 2004 to December 2012. From December 2010 to December 2012, Raye served as

President of the Maine Senate The position of President of the Maine Senate was created when Maine separated from Massachusetts and achieved statehood in 1820. The Maine Legislature had one year terms until 1880, when an amendment to the Maine Constitution took effect to prov ...

, and as such, was next in line to the governorship of Maine.

Early life, education, and early career

Raye was born February 7, 1961 in

Eastport, Maine Eastport is a city and archipelago in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,288 at the 2020 census, making Eastport the least-populous city in Maine. The principal island is Moose Island, which is connected to the mainlan ...

. He is one of eight sons of Harry Raye, an

electrician An electrician is a tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenanc ...

and a veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, and Frances Morrison Raye, a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

. He graduated from

Shead Memorial High School Shead High School is a public high school State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students witho ...

in Eastport and earned a degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

from

Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the Campus of Bates College, campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of th ...

in Lewiston. Along with his wife Karen, he owns and operates Raye's Mustard Mill, which has been run by members of the Raye family since 1900. He spent seventeen years working for former U.S. Representative and former U.S. Senator

Olympia Snowe Olympia Jean Snowe (; born February 21, 1947) is an American businesswoman and politician who was a United States Senator from Maine from 1995 to 2013. Snowe, a member of the Republican Party, became known for her ability to influence the outcome ...

. He served as her Chief of Staff for six years.

Maine legislature

Raye represented Maine Senate District 29. District 29 includes a portion of Hancock County and Washington County.

Elections

Raye won re-election to the 29th District Seat in 2010, defeating Democrat F. James Whalen. On November 4, 2008, Raye won re-election by defeating Karen Johnson and Dana Kadey.

Committee assignments

* Select Committee on Joint Rules * Senatorial Vote Committee * Senate Rules Committee * Legislative Council

Congressional campaigns

2002

Michaud, then a State Senator, narrowly defeated Republican Raye in the race to replace incumbent Democrat

John Baldacci John Elias Baldacci (born January 30, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of Maine from 2003 to 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. During h ...

, who ran for

Governor of Maine The governor of Maine is the head of government of the U.S. state of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive. The current governor of Maine ...

. In the primary, Raye defeated State Representative Stavros Mendros, State Representative Dick Campbell, and Tim Woodcock. The general election garnered considerable publicity because the Democratic candidate opposed

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

, while the Republican supported

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

. Michaud then became the only freshman Democratic member of Congress to vote for the 2003 ban on intact dilation and extraction (IDX), often called

partial-birth abortion Intact dilation and extraction (D&X, IDX, or intact D&E) is a surgical procedure that removes an intact fetus from the uterus. The procedure is used both after miscarriages and for abortions in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. In U ...

2012

Raye, who was unable to run for re-election the Maine Senate due to

term-limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potentia ...

s, considered a rematch against incumbent Democrat

Mike Michaud Michael Herman Michaud (born January 18, 1955) is an American businessman and politician from Maine. Michaud served as the U.S. representative for from 2003 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The primarily rural district comprises ...

in the 2012 congressional elections as early as the middle of 2011. Upon the decision of

to not seek re-election to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

, Raye briefly considered running for her seat, but ultimately decided to enter the House primary, which Raye won on June 12, 2012 to become the nominee. Raye received 41.8% of the vote and lost to incumbent Michaud.

2014

After Rep. Michaud announced he was running for

in the 2014 election, Raye announced he would again seek to win Michaud's seat. However, he lost the Republican primary to former Maine State Treasurer

Bruce Poliquin Bruce Lee Poliquin (; born November 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Maine's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. Poliquin w ...

Personal life

Raye and his family resides in

Perry, Maine Perry is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States, on the Canada–United States border. At the 2020 census, the town had a population of 802. History Once part of Plantation T1 TS, the area was settled in 1758 by John Frost, who b ...

. Karen Howard Raye, his wife, is a member of the Perry Board of Selectmen. He is a member, trustee and Church Council Chairman of the North Perry

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raye, Kevin 1961 births Living people People from Eastport, Maine Bates College alumni Businesspeople from Maine Presidents of the Maine Senate Republican Party Maine state senators 21st-century American politicians