▁ 9 5 th , ▁ 9 6 th ▁and ▁ 9 7 th ▁Congress es ▁( 1 9 7 7 – 1 9 8 3 ). ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁Republican ▁leadership ▁during ▁the ▁ 9 7 th ▁Congress , ▁serving ▁as ▁Chief ▁Deput y ▁Republican ▁Wh ip ▁under ▁Tr ent ▁L ott . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁he ▁ran ▁for ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁against ▁Democratic ▁Senator ▁George ▁J . ▁Mitchell , ▁a ▁former ▁Federal ▁Judge ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁appointed ▁to ▁succeed ▁Dem ocrat ▁Edmund ▁Mus kie , ▁whom ▁President ▁Jimmy ▁Carter ▁had ▁appointed ▁as ▁U . S . ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State . ▁Em ery ▁was ▁initially ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁favorite , ▁but ▁he ▁ran ▁a ▁highly ▁critical ▁campaign ▁which ▁made ▁a ▁negative ▁impression , ▁and ▁Mitchell ▁won ▁the ▁election ▁with ▁ 6 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁he ▁declared ▁his ▁candid acy ▁for ▁Governor ▁of ▁Maine ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁election . ▁He ▁with d rew ▁from ▁the ▁race ▁upon ▁the ▁entrance ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁nom ine e ▁Peter ▁C ian ch ette , ▁but ▁following ▁C ian ch ette ' s ▁withdraw al , ▁re - enter ed . ▁In ▁the ▁Republican ▁primary ▁he ▁came ▁in ▁last ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁candidates ▁on ▁the ▁ball ot , ▁finishing ▁behind ▁State ▁Sen ators ▁Ch and ler ▁Wood cock ▁of ▁Farm ington ▁and ▁Peter ▁M ills ▁of ▁Sk ow