to slavery. The Northeast was predominantly anti-slavery whereas the South was pro-slavery. When the Whig party split in 1856, most of its northern wing formed the Republican Party, which dominated Maine due to its anti-slavery stance. Maine was predominantly Republican until 1954. In 1954, in a gubernatorial election, Democratic state representative Edmund Muskie became only the fourth Democrat to win the governorship in the 20th century. He won the state over in part due to his stance on economic growth through industrial development, accessible politics on television and being acceptable to diverse population growth. Between 1954 and 1974, the number of registered Democrats more than doubled from 99,000 to 212,000. In more recent years, Maine has been roughly evenly split between Democrats, Republicans, and independents. For instance in 1990, independent registered voters constituted 37% of the electorate, Democrats 33%, and Republicans 30%. This is a great contrast to the first hundred years of Maine politics. Democrat Janet Mills was elected Governor of Maine in the 2018 gubernatorial election. Party platform Maine Democrats promote economic opportunity, ethical government, freedom, safety, and national security. They also promote voting rights, environmental protection, strong public education, access to health care, civil rights, transportation infrastructure, and help for those in serious poverty. The party advocates economic security through strong support of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Maine Democrats believe in fair workplace opportunities and support Maine workers' right to form unions through the Employee Free Choice Act, which gives employees the chance to strike without being punished by employers and also keeps the workplace free of hazards, harassment, and discrimination. The platform also supports environmental protection through an energy plan to curb pollution and increase productivity. Organizational structure The Maine Democratic Party is governed by the Democratic State Committee. Maine Democratic Party staff and operations: Gaetan Davis: Executive Director Megan Hyson: Development Director Tim Grose: Field Director Jacob Stern: Communications Director Marc Malon: Party Affairs Director Dash Marley: Finance Director Joe Haas: Data Director Sean Smith: House Caucus Director Lily Herrmann: Senate Caucus Director Maine Democratic Party Officers: Chair: Drew Gattine Vice-Chair: Bev Uhlenhake Secretary: Vicky Cohen Treasurer: Betty Johnson Assistant Treasurer: Jonathan Goble DNC Member: BJ McCollister, Rachel Talbot Ross See also Political party strength in Maine Notes References External links Maine Democratic Party Democratic Party Democratic Party (United States) by state