Paula Benoit

Paula Benoit
Member of the Maine Senate
from the 19th district
In office
2006–2008
Preceded byArthur Mayo
Succeeded bySeth Goodall
Personal details
Born (1955-03-12) March 12, 1955 (age 69)
Political partyRepublican

Paula Benoit (born March 12, 1955) is an American politician from Maine. Benoit served as a Republican State Senator from Maine's 19th District, representing part of Sagadahoc County, including the population centers of Bath and Topsham from 2006 to 2008.

In 2006, she challenged incumbent State Senator Arthur Mayo III. Mayo had been a registered Republican, but switched parties shortly after his reelection in 2004. After a spirited campaign, Benoit beat Mayo. She was the only Republican to beat an incumbent Senate Democrat in 2006.[1]

As a State Senator, Benoit helped lead the charge for changing Maine's adoption law to allow adoptees to see their original birth certificates. In most states, original birth certificates are sealed. After this law went into effect Benoit, herself an adoptee, viewed her original birth certificate and discovered two of her colleagues in the legislature – State Senator Bruce Bryant and State Representative Mark Bryant – were her nephews.[2]

In 2008, Goodall defeated Benoit for re-election by 162 votes.[3] She outperformed John McCain's U.S. presidential campaign in her district, with Senator McCain losing District 19 by 3,492 votes to U.S. Senator Barack Obama.[4] In 2013, Goodall resigned after his appointment to a federal post and Benoit announced she would seek the Republican nomination for the special election.[5] She was defeated by Democrat Eloise Vitelli in the August election.[6]

In 2011, Benoit wrote a children's book, Baxter in the Blaine House, about the Jack Russell Terrier mix of Maine Gov. Paul LePage.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Sun Journal - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  2. ^ "Why Senator Is Unsealing Adoption Records". ABC News. 2009-01-08. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  3. ^ "Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, Elections and Voting, Results, 2008-09 Tabulations, 2008 General Election Tabulations, State Senate". maine.gov. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  4. ^ "Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, Elections and Voting, Results, 2008-09 Tabulations". maine.gov. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  5. ^ Edwards, Kevin (June 28, 2013). "Old hands considering run at still-warm Senate 19 seat". Kennebec Journal. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  6. ^ Brogan, Beth (August 27, 2013). "Democrat Eloise Vitelli bests Republican Paula Benoit to claim Bath-area Senate 19 seat". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  7. ^ "Gov. LePage's family dog dies after third bout with cancerTelegram". The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram. March 30, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  8. ^ "Ruff and ready". The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram. December 18, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2016.