Andrew Ian Dodge: Confessions of a Libertarian Candidate Running for the US Senate in Maine

The election is over and I am finally awake after recovering from my U.S. Senate run, despite that I have been called a traitor, a communist and an America hater by crazed Romney supporters on my own Facebook page for daring to support Gary Johnson.

In Maine, the Republican Party imploded electorally as predicted. Their efforts to trash the World of Warcraft-playing Democrat backfired and she won her seat. The Dems took both the House and the Maine Senate so now all the "constitutional" officers Governor LePage relies on will be gone come January. Charlie Summers, the Secretary of State who ran for the Senate while remaining in that office, is sure to be a casualty. Not only that but his wife lost her race. The governor will be a lame duck until 2014 when he is up for re-election.

My race continued to be odd until the end and I managed to get fourth in a five horse race (one candidate dropped out on Saturday night). It was the best showing ever for a Libertarian Party-backed candidate in the state. It was a great experience to run for the Senate and I have no regrets. The support from both voters and volunteers was quite humbling.

Libertarian ideas didn't just do well in Colorado and Washington state with their approving of cannabis legalization. Maine voters approved marriage equality for gay people of Maine by a decent margin. The sheer hate of the anti-gay marriage camp probably helped push the total up.

So surreal was the final debate, which aired on Monday night election eve, that it inspired me to make my concession press release verse:

“Bested by Angus, Not that outrageous, A well-loved man, With a bi-partisan plan. Fought the good-fight, For what was right, My head held high, Critics can try Ran for right reasons, Liberty for all seasons, Happy to See, Some with me An independent future, Democracy grows mature, Maine leads the way, A great place to be gay. No regrets never, The message we delivered, It was my pleasure, To follow that endeavor.”

Just to recap the highlights of the last debate, one Senate candidate for recited the Lord's Prayer as his closing statement while another dropped out and endorsed Angus King. Amusingly enough, he had already endorsed Angus King in June of 2012 but still ran for office.

As the losers lick their wounds, or blame everyone else as the case may be, it is time to get back to real life. Campaign 2012 is over and fortunately campaign 2014 is a ways off. What a long strange trip it has been.