Charles Skold First to Qualify for Clean Election Funding in Portland State House Race
Reports sixty-seven five-dollar contributions and an additional $1000 raised from Portland residents
PORTLAND – Charles Skold today announced that his campaign is the first to qualify for Clean Election funding in the race to represent House District 38. Originally passed by a citizens’ initiative in 1996, the Maine Clean Election Act (MCEA) established a voluntary program of public financing for political candidates running for Governor, State Senator, and State Representative. To qualify, Charles collected over sixty-seven contributions of five dollars each from voters registered in District 38, encompassing Portland’s West End, Western Prom, Western Waterfront, and St. John Valley neighborhoods. The designation entitles Charles’ campaign to an initial sum of up to $2,650 for use in the Democratic Primary Election, now being held on July 14, 2020.
In addition to five-dollar contributions, Charles Skold raised $1000 in “seed money” donations—$600 of which came from donors giving $50 or less. Charles announced that 100% of these campaign contributions came from residents of Portland, with over 75% coming from people who live within the boundary lines of District 38. The Maine Ethics Commission’s website shows it received the Seed Money Report from campaign treasurer Katherine Lausier at 4:07 PM on April 21, 2020, and certified Charles Skold as an MCEA candidate on April 22, 2020. Charles is the first candidate for State House District 38 to qualify for MCEA funding this cycle, in advance of the May 19, 2020 deadline. At the time of reporting, Charles’ campaign had $3.09 cash on hand.
“I’m honored to have the support of so many people here in Portland, and thankful for our state’s commitment to clean elections. As a first-time candidate, I believe that public financing of elections helps everyone participate in our democracy. This is home for all of us, and we should all have a chance to fight for our future.”
Charles graduated from Freeport High School in 2007. His mother and stepfather still live at their house in Freeport, and he has other family in and around Portland. His father, who passed away in 2018, is buried in Brunswick. His family descends from Irish immigrants who settled in Bath, where his great-grandfather worked as a riveter for Bath Iron Works.
Charles returned to Maine after completing a Master in Public Administration and a Master of Theological Studies at Harvard University, and working for five years in college ministry at Tufts University. He now lives on State Street and attends St. Luke’s Episcopal Cathedral. He is a member of climate advocacy groups Portland Climate Action Team and 350 Maine.
"I’m running for State Representative because our future is not guaranteed. Here in Portland, the threats of climate change, unaffordable housing, and growing inequality are already at our doorstep. But I believe we still have time to fight for our future. We still have a window of opportunity to come together and create a future for all of us.
“When Janet Mills became Governor, she put a new sign on the road. It says, ‘Welcome Home.’ To me, that sign means our state is once again a place for progress and possibility. It means that everyone—from longtime residents to recent New Mainers—should be able to live without fear of displacement. And it means that young people like me, who went away for schools and jobs, can come home and help fight for Maine’s future.
“I want to be Portland's strongest advocate up in Augusta—to fight for Portland’s future, to live out our best values of 'welcome,' and to work with the entire state to solve our common challenges. Because this is home for all of us, and I believe it’s worth fighting for.”
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