The Maine campaign working to defeat
Question 1, which would legalize gay marriage, raised nearly $1
million in October.
The October figure of $950,000 brings
Protect Marriage Maine total for the campaign to $1.4 million,
according to campaign finance reports compiled by the Kennebec
Journal.
The PAC reported two major donors: The
National Organization for Marriage, which gave $800,000, and the
Knights of Columbus, which gave $100,000.
Seven groups are raising and spending
money against passage of Question 1, including Maine 4 Marriage,
which reported raising $14,070, and Maine Marriage PAC, which raised
$10,435. Some of those groups in turn gave the money raised to
Protect Marriage.
Proponents of the measure reported
raising $963,700 for the period which ended October 23. Mainers
United for Marriage has raised $4.3 million.
Some of the 12 groups working in
support of Question 1 include Freedom to Marry Maine PAC, which
raised $122,804, and Catholics for Marriage Equality, which reported
raising $2,210 in October. Ken Mehlman, the former chairman of the
Republican National Committee (RNC) who
in 2010 announced he's gay to advocate for marriage rights,
donated $50,000 to Freedom to Marry Maine PAC.