Paul LePage
Paul LePage ( born October 9, 1948 in Lewiston, Maine) is an American politician. LePage, who belongs to the Republican Party, since January 5, 2011 held the office of governor in the state of Maine.
Life
Career
Paul LePage grew up in a large family. He is the oldest of 18 siblings and half-siblings. LePage, whose parents had immigrated from France to the United States, said in his parents' house exclusively French and only learned English at college. As a child he was beaten by his strict father often, so he ran away at the age of eleven years from home and then lived about two years as a homeless person in the streets of his hometown of Lewiston. He earned first shining shoes for a living, and later as a dishwasher in a cafe and also cleaned trucks for a transport company. Other odd jobs followed in a meat processing factory, as a cook and bartender.
LePage then matriculated at Husson University in Bangor ( Maine) a, but was rejected due to his lack of English skills. However, through the intervention of Peter Snowe, the first husband of the later U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, it was thanks to them that LePage was allowed to hold entrance exams in French. At the Husson University LePage learned English, wrote for the school newspaper and later became its editor. He received his degree in Business Administration, undertook subsequent to the University of Maine and got there his Master of Business Administration.
In 1996, LePage general manager of Marden 's Surplus and Salvage, a supermarket chain. With the money saved so he founded LePage and Kasevich, a business consulting firm, which was economically consulting firms and banks As guarantee for the page.
Political career
After serving two terms on the city council, LePage was a candidate in 2003 with success for the office of mayor of the 15,000 inhabitants town of Waterville, Maine. As mayor, he cut taxes, was responsible for an extensive administrative reform and could increase the capital of city of one million dollars to around ten million dollars.
In September 2009, LePage announced to run for the office of governor of Maine. He could in the internal party primaries nine Republican competitors, including Peter Mills, the candidate of the Republicans in 2006, leave behind. In the actual election on November 2, 2010 LePage won this with around 38 percent of the vote. This was enough, because besides the Democrat Libby Mitchell still competed three independent candidates and these four candidates are mutually decreased the votes. Eliot Cutler, an independent from Lepage's competitors, finished with almost 8,000 votes residue and a share of 36.7 percent in second place; Mitchell was third. On January 5, 2011 LePage was introduced as the successor to John Baldacci in his office. As his deputy acts Kevin Raye, President of the State Senate, as there is not the post of Lieutenant Governor in Maine.
As Republicans and supporters of the Tea Party movement LePage represents traditional conservative values , is against marriage between same-sex people is against abortion and against more influence in Washington, DC. He is married to Ann LePage.