UPDATE: King continues attack on LePage, says ‘I will not run’ for governor

Earlier today, I reported here at State & Capitol that Joe Baldacci, a city councilor from Bangor, and Democratic Rep. Diane Russell of Portland, have launched attempts to recruit best-selling author and Bangor resident Stephen King to run for governor in 2018.

This came after LePage implied in his weekly radio address last week that King does not pay income taxes in Maine. LePage corrected the radio address after King said he and his wife, Tabitha, pay income taxes in Maine.

Monday evening, King responded to questions emailed to him Monday morning by the BDN. Here is King’s response in its entirety:

“I’m still owed an apology, but never really expected one. When it comes to saying, ‘Sorry, Steve, I was wrong,’ Governor LePage seems to have a problem finding a comfortable pair of big-boy pants. I’m not angry about the misrepresentation, because I’ve come to expect that from Governor LePage. What mystifies me is why he would say something this wrong when it’s so easy to check. It’s the laziness that makes me mad. It makes you wonder if anyone is driving the bus, or if it’s on autopilot. And no, I have no political aspirations. I’ll continue to support candidates who want to speak for the middle class and working poor, particularly those candidates who support raising the minimum wage, but as for me, if nominated I will not run, and if elected, I will not serve. I think somebody famous said that.”

Christopher Cousins

About Christopher Cousins

Christopher Cousins has worked as a journalist in Maine for more than 15 years and covered state government for numerous media organizations before joining the Bangor Daily News in 2009.