People › State Senate
Mike Tipping D
State Senator, District 8
On the November ballot: State Senate District 8 (Orono)
June 9 primary for State Senate District 8 (Democratic): won, 3,913 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
Context Outside spending
Outside groups spent $109,137 for or against them, more than their campaign's $51,325
Independent expenditures: $92,014 supporting and $17,123 opposing. The largest: MAINE DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE $80,275 (for); Prosper Maine PAC $17,123 (against); MPA CAMPAIGN VOTE! $4,539 (for); MAINE CONSERVATION VOTERS ACTION FUND $3,717 (for).
What to check- Who funds the largest spenders (their own reports to the Commission)
Rule: Outside spending larger than the campaign
“"independent expenditure" means any expenditure made by a person, party committee or political action committee that is not made in cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate”21-A MRSA §1019-B(1) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works
Context Ethics Commission
Before the Ethics Commission (2022-06-09): Complaint by Charles Veeder against Candidate Michael Tipping
Mr. Charles Veeder has filed a complaint asserting that State Senate candidate Michael Tipping violated the Maine Clean Election Act because of his involvement in a postcard mailing by a PAC affiliated with the Maine People’s Alliance. Mr. Tipping is employed by the organization. Mr. Tipping responds he was not involved in the mailing. He has submitted a signed 2021 agreement between himself and his supervisor that he would not participate in any communications that would be relevant to his election. The motion: “To take no further action on the complaint due to insufficient evidence.” Vote: 4-0.
What to check- What the Commission decided, in the motion and the minutes
- A complaint is an allegation, not a finding
The Commission's meeting of 2022-06-09The staff memo
Rule: A complaint or other matter before the Ethics Commission
“The commission shall review the application and shall make the investigation if the reasons stated for the request show sufficient grounds for believing that a violation may have occurred.”21-A MRSA §1003(2) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works
Home
- Single-family home: $343,200 assessed, 2024 · about $343,000 market value
Market value: the assessed value at Orono's certified ratio of 100% (2024).
From the Orono assessor's database, found by searching for Mike Tipping's name in the town where they live, as owner or co-owner of a home. The address isn't published. A home held in a trust, a company or someone else's name isn't found.
In the Legislature
Senate District 8 · 131st Legislature (2023–24), 132nd Legislature (2025–26) · 1,267 recorded votes, 1% not voting
Bills they sponsored: 73 (25 became law) — LD 579, LD 598, LD 783, LD 840, LD 843, LD 911, LD 985, LD 1133, LD 1450, LD 1451, LD 1488, LD 1493, LD 1604, LD 1664 …
Named in lobbyists' reports
Events and spending on officials that lobbyists reported to the Ethics Commission since 2024 and whose list of officials names Mike Tipping: 9 from 6 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 Center for Economic Policy
Maura Pillsbury | Event: Lunch and Learn on Guaranteed Basic Income in Maine · February 2026 · names 18 members | $315.20 |
| Event: Luncheon presentation · May 2025 · names 26 members | $262.50 |
| Event: lunchtime briefing · February 2024 · names 25 members | $589.08 |
Bioscience Association of Maine (BioME)
Michael Saxl | Event: Innovation & Growth Caucus Lunch & Learn - Blue Economy · March 2026 · names 26 members | $707.80 |
| Event: Life Sciences Lunch and Learn · February 2026 · names 26 members | $511.47 |
Maine Conservation Alliance
Sarah Woodbury | Event: Legislative Briefing on Tribal Sovereignty and Lake and Farmland Funding · March 2026 · names 7 members | $325.14 |
Maine Forest Products Council
Krysta West | Event: Lunch & Learn Panel Discussion · February 2026 · names 27 members | $499 |
Google LLC and its Affiliates
Ethan Gauvin | Event: Right to Repair Day · October 2025 | $1,812.67 |
AARP
Noel Bonam | Event: Legislative Lunch & Learn on Older Adult Issues and Vital Voices Survey · May 2025 · names 51 members | $1,480.31 |
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: Senator · Clean Election
$52,025raised to date (the Commission's list, October 17, 2026); $15,217 spent
$2,300itemized in 2026, 23 contributions
$49,025Clean Election funding paid this year
$0from the candidate (incl. loans)
$36,808cash on hand on September 15, 2026 (42 Day Pre General Mcea Report)
Where their contributions come from
100%
IndividualsBusinessesTrade, professional and issue groupsLabor unionsTribal nationsPolitical partiesOther candidates and officeholders
Compare with all 2026 candidates →
How it was spent: $15,602
Staff and consultants$6,692
Palm cards, signs, stickers$4,456
Professional services$1,800
Mail house$988
Office and utilities$394
Hardware and tools$367
Events$257
Bank and other fees$213
Postage$160
Food for events and volunteers$142
Largest payees: Movement Building Maine $6,692 Staff and consultants · Print Bangor $2,883 Palm cards, signs, stickers · Packeze $1,100 Palm cards, signs, stickers · Olive and Pine Photography $1,000 Professional services · SBS/Carbon Copy $988 Mail house · EMZI Studio $800 Professional services · Amazon $778 Office and utilities · Marden's $341 Hardware and tools
Payments in 2026, by the Ethics Commission's expenditure codes.
| Top contributors | Type | Total |
|---|
Scott Harriman
government civil · City of Lewiston · Lewiston | Person | $100 |
Michael Barnes
not currently employed · Orono | Person | $100 |
Gordon Street
healthcare medical · Anxiety Solutions of Northern New England PLLC · Lincoln | Person | $100 |
Darcy Halvorsen
not currently employed · South Portland | Person | $100 |
Susan Feiner
not currently employed · Yarmouth | Person | $100 |
Sarah Nichols
UniServ Director · Maine Education Association · Bangor | Person | $100 |
Matthew Stormann
Small Business Owner · Square One LLC · Lincoln | Person | $100 |
Roy Gedat
not currently employed · Naples | Person | $100 |
Elizabeth Bickford
teacher education · RSU 67 · Lincoln | Person | $100 |
Adrian Arias-Palomo
Program Manager · Maine MultiCultural Center · Veazie | Person | $100 |
Quita Ryder
not currently employed · Lincoln | Person | $100 |
George Jacobson
not currently employed · Orono | Person | $100 |
Kevin Simowitz
Principal · Mobius Organizing and Consulting · Portland | Person | $100 |
Douglas Allen
not currently employed · Orono | Person | $100 |
D. Gordon Mott
Forester · Self · Lakeville | Person | $100 |
Tipping, Michael 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
$92,014spent supporting them
$17,123spent opposing them
| Spender | | Amount |
|---|
MAINE DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE
20 expenditures · the race | for | $80,275 |
Prosper Maine PAC
4 expenditures · the race | against | $17,123 |
MPA CAMPAIGN VOTE!
3 expenditures · the race | for | $4,539 |
MAINE CONSERVATION VOTERS ACTION FUND
1 expenditure · the race | for | $3,717 |
REBUILD MAINE
1 expenditure · the race | for | $3,399 |
MPA Votes
1 expenditure · the race | for | $83 |
Independent expenditures reported to the Ethics Commission in 2026. The candidate doesn't control them.
Their donors also gave to
Their largest donors who also funded other 2026 candidates.
| Donor | To them | Candidates funded | By party |
|---|
Scott Harriman
government civil, City of Lewiston · Lewiston | $100 | 19 | |
Gordon Street
healthcare medical, Health Access Network · Lincoln | $100 | 2 | |
Darcy Halvorsen
healthcare medical, Self · South Portland | $100 | 5 | |
SUSAN FEINER
not currently employed, NOT EMPLOYED · Yarmouth | $100 | 2 | |
Sarah Nichols
Other, Maine Education Association · Bangor | $100 | 2 | |
Roy Gedat
not currently employed, Not Employed · Naples | $100 | 6 | |
Quita Ryder
not currently employed, Not Employed · Lincoln | $100 | 2 | |
George Jacobson
retired, Unknown · Orono | $100 | 3 | |
Douglas Allen
not currently employed, Not Employed · Orono | $100 | 3 | |
D. Gordon Mott
agriculture, self · Lakeville | $100 | 2 | |
Julie Gosse
Other, University of Maine · Orono | $100 | 4 | |
Benjamin Chin
Organizer, Maine People's Alliance · Lewiston | $100 | 4 | |