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Jim Thorne R
State Representative, District 35
On the November ballot: State House District 35 (Carmel)
June 9 primary for State House District 35 (Republican): won, 1,110 votes (100%)
Findings
Prompts to look closer at the public records, each with the rule and the law it rests on. None is a finding of wrongdoing. All findings
Worth a look Ethics Commission
Before the Ethics Commission (2026-06-24): Request for Waiver of Late-Filing Penalty – Hon. James Thorne
Rep. James Thorne, a candidate for the Maine House of Representatives, was required to file the 11-Day Pre-Primary Report on May 29, 2026. His treasurer filed the report on June 1. Rep. Thorne requests a waiver of a preliminary penalty of $34.50. Staff recommendation: the staff recommends not reducing the preliminary penalty because it is already below the range of penalties usually assessed when a report is filed late. The motion: “To find the 11-Day Pre-Primary Report was filed late and reduce the penalty of $34.50” Vote: 4-0.
What to check- The Commission's decision, in the motion and the minutes
The Commission's meeting of 2026-06-24The staff memo
Rule: Late-filing penalty before the Ethics Commission
“A campaign finance report is not timely filed unless a properly signed or electronically submitted copy of the report, substantially conforming to the disclosure requirements of this subchapter, is received by the commission by 11:59 p.m. on the date it is due.”21-A MRSA §1020-A(2) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works
In the Legislature
House District 35 · 131st Legislature (2023–24), 132nd Legislature (2025–26) · 1,235 recorded votes, 0% not voting
Bills they sponsored: 7 (2 became law) — LD 162, LD 76, HP 1242, HP 1327, LD 465, HP 1282, LD 1518
Named in lobbyists' reports
Events and spending on officials that lobbyists reported to the Ethics Commission since 2024 and whose list of officials names Jim Thorne: 5 from 4 clients. The cost is the whole event's or item's, shared by everyone it names, not what was spent on them.
| Client (lobbyist) | What, when | Cost (all named) |
|---|
Maine Forest Products Council
Patrick Strauch | Event: Legislative Breakfast/Timber Talk · April 2025 · names 27 members | $731.02 |
| Event: Legislative Forestry Expo · March 2025 · names 29 members | $771.57 |
Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast
Dana Doran | Event: Legislative Breakfast · February 2026 · names 43 members | $1,933 |
DraftKings Inc.
Michael Saxl | Event: Lunch and Learn Re: LD 1164 · June 2025 · names 98 members | $1,676.92 |
Maine Association of REALTORS
J. Andrew Cashman | Event: Meet & Greet · February 2025 · names 19 members | $3,768.17 |
Matched by name and title (“Rep. Bell”, “Senator Brad Farrin”); a name that fits two members isn't counted. Check the reports on the lobbying system.
Campaign money: Representative · Clean Election
$7,300raised to date (the Commission's list, October 17, 2026); $1,646 spent
$100itemized in 2025 and 2026, 1 contributions
$100raised before 2026 (their 2025 reports)
$7,200Clean Election funding paid this year
$100from the candidate (incl. loans)
$5,654cash on hand on September 15, 2026 (42 Day Pre General Mcea Report)
How it was spent: $1,646
Palm cards, signs, stickers$1,159
Postage$488
Largest payees: Bangor Letter Shop $1,646 Postage
Payments in 2026, by the Ethics Commission's expenditure codes.
| Top contributors | Type | Total |
|---|
James Thorne
Retired · Carmel | The candidate | $100 |
Thorne, James E on the Ethics Commission's campaign finance search. Itemized transactions: 2026 from the Commission's files as posted October 17, 2026, and 2025 from the campaign's own reports.
Outside spending for and against them
$231spent supporting them
$0spent opposing them
| Spender | | Amount |
|---|
People Over Politics PAC
1 expenditure · the race | for | $169 |
NRA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND
1 expenditure · the race | for | $62 |
Independent expenditures reported to the Ethics Commission in 2026. The candidate doesn't control them.