On the Dangers of Donald Trump with Tony Payne, Former Maine Republican Party Leader

SoftSpoken: A Podcast by Marpheen Chann

In a May 2024 op-ed in the Portland Press Herald, Tony Payne, a former Maine Republican Party executive director, wrote: "Although some Republican conservatives don’t harbor these views and behaviors, they have failed miserably in denouncing the antics and actions of Trump and his followers, who would rather grandstand for more power and political donors than govern. The party of Abraham Lincoln is dead and forgotten."

In this special 2024 Election episode, host Marpheen Chann discusses Maine politics, the danger of Donald Trump, and why he's voting for Kamala Harris on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Tony Payne, now an Independent, is an active community leader and former Maine Republican Party executive director. Tony has served as a member and former Chair of the University of Southern Maine Board of Visitors and as a board member of Pine Tree Watch/Maine Center for Reporting in the Public Interest. He has previously held board positions with Atlantic Bank, the Maine Education Loan Authority, The Portland Club, and several other organizations. In 1998, he chaired the Legislative Task Force that studied the State Employee Workers’ Compensation System. With over 30 years in politics, Payne was a GOP primary candidate for the Maine First Congressional District in 1992 and was elected to the Falmouth Town Council in 2006, serving two terms.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hobart College and is a graduate of the Institute for Civic Leadership. In 2003, he received the Edward L. Bernays Award, the top honor from the Maine Public Relations Council.