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Paul Welch D

On the November ballot: State House District 85 (Standish)

June 9 primary for State House District 85 (Democratic): won, 973 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 Lobbyists' money

1 organization on their disclosure also lobbies the Legislature

Registered as lobbyists' clients: Unum (employer; registered 2024, 2025, 2026).

What to check

What the organization lobbied on, and how they voted on it
Whether it's the same organization (matched by name)

Personal financial disclosure, 2025 (the Commission's disclosure site)Maine's lobbying registrations

Rule: Employer, client or organization also lobbies

“Each source of income must be identified by name, address and principal type of economic or business activity.”1 MRSA §1016-G(1) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works

Financial disclosure, 2025

From the personal financial disclosure they filed with the Maine Ethics Commission on August 15, 2026. Maine's form lists sources and positions, not amounts: the law asks for each source of $2,000 or more in the year, and each state agency sold $10,000 or more (1 MRSA §1016-G). Family members aren't named.

Jobs

Customer Service Supervisor, Unum (Financial Services and Insurance) · Portland, ME
School Board Director, MSAD #6 (Education) · Buxton, ME

Positions

Trustee, Standish Congregational Church · Standish, ME

Family members

A family member: Staff Limnologist, Lakes Environmental Association (Environmental outreach, education, advocacy, and research non-profit) · Bridgton, ME

Home

Single-family home: $309,700 assessed, 2026

Standish certified a ratio of 100% for 2024; a later assessment may follow a revaluation, so no market estimate is made.

From the Standish assessor's database, found by searching for Paul Welch'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.

Campaign money: Representative · Clean Election

$16,409raised to date (the Commission's list, October 17, 2026); $5,974 spent

$850itemized in 2026, 9 contributions

$15,549Clean Election funding paid this year

$0from the candidate (incl. loans)

$10,435cash on hand on September 15, 2026 (42 Day Pre General Mcea Report)

$220debts and loans owed, as of that 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: $5,149

Postage$2,579

Palm cards, signs, stickers$1,006

Social media and online ads$1,000

Mail house$500

Website$64

Largest payees: USPS $2,579 Postage · FRAME Media Strategies LLC $1,500 Mail house · Capitol Promotions $641 Palm cards, signs, stickers · Staples $265 Palm cards, signs, stickers · Dale Rand Printing $100 Palm cards, signs, stickers · Square Space $64 Website

Payments in 2026, by the Ethics Commission's expenditure codes.

Top contributors	Type	Total
Maurie Hill retired · Standish	Person	$100
Katherine McDonald science technology · GZA Geoenvironmental Inc. · Standish	Person	$100
Mark Gilford information requested · Loveland	Person	$100
Kelley Heath teacher education · ME Department of Education · Hollis	Person	$100
Paul Welch insurance industry · Unum · Steep Falls	Person	$100
Isabel Higgins information requested · Standish	Person	$100
Gratz Beehler retired · Windham	Person	$100
Debbe Kelley construction engineering · self employed · Windham	Person	$100
Carolyn Diegel information requested · Standish	Person	$50

Welch, Paul 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

$6,551spent supporting them

$1,126spent opposing them

Spender		Amount
MAINE CONSERVATION VOTERS ACTION FUND 2 expenditures · the race	for	$3,012
REBUILD MAINE 2 expenditures · the race	for	$2,758
Lead Maine Action 1 expenditure · the race	against	$1,126
PLANNED PARENTHOOD MAINE ACTION FUND PAC 1 expenditure · the race	for	$781

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
Maurie Hill retired, Not Currently Employed · Standish	$100	5
Katherine McDonald general business, Gza Geoenvironmental · Standish	$100	4
Kelley Heath teacher education, State Of Maine · Hollis	$100	3
Paul Welch insurance industry, Unum · Steep Falls	$100	2
Gratz Beehler retired, Information Requested · Windham	$100	10
Debbe Kelley retired, Information Requested · Windham	$100	7