Bangor Rally Draws Supporters, Protesters

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump rallied a near-capacity crowd at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor Wednesday, asking supporters to turn out to the polls in hopes of putting Maine in the GOP win column for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Trump delivered a 45-minute speech aimed directly at Maine's working class, touching on trade deals he feels are unfair and the need for more domestic manufacturing jobs.

"We're going to bring back our jobs, We're going to bring back our wealth," Trump said to rising cheers from the estimated 4,000 people at the rally. "We're going to bring back our money and we're going to bring back our pride."

It's a message Republicans hope resonates in the state's northern -- and less prosperous -- congressional district, which could deliver Trump an all-important electoral vote in November should he win the region.

While one early poll shows Democrat Hillary Clinton with a lead in the state, that same poll shows Trump and Clinton in a virtual dead heat in the state's 2nd congressional district, which includes Bangor.

Although Trump, himself, didn't touch on the north-south divide, conservative radio talk show host Howie Carr did in warming up the crowd.

"It's great to be north of the Volvo line," said Carr, who was born in Portland. "If [Trump] carries this district, whatever happens down there in northern Massachusetts, where I come from, it will be a split."

Maine is one of only two states -- Nebraska being the other -- that can split its four Electoral College votes. Under such circumstances, the winner of the statewide popular vote gets two electoral votes. Then, the winner of each of Maine's two congressional districts is awarded one electoral vote.

Maine has never split its electoral votes since the system was established in 1972. All other states have a "winner take all" system for awarding electoral votes.

In recent years, Maine has not been kind to GOP presidential candidates, either. Mainers have voted for the Democratic candidate in the last six presidential elections, beginning in 1992 with Bill Clinton.

There were several groups of Trump detractors on hand in Bangor, with about a dozen protesters being escorted from the arena at times during the speech. While the protesters were met with jeers from the crowd, Trump himself made light of what has become a common occurrence at his rallies.

"You have the nicest protesters in Maine," he said as two people were being led outside. "I said, 'Get out,' and he said, 'Yes sir,' and left."

Outside the Cross Center, Maine's Attorney General Janet Mills joined other Democrats at a news conference to voice their opposition to Trump, according to an account in the Portland Press Herald.

“Mr. Trump has nothing in common with the working men and women of Maine, and no interest in helping them,” Mills said. "He has lined his pockets with cheap foreign labor at the expense of Maine workers and American workers."

You can watch the entire rally below.

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