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Eliot Raphael Cutler (born July 29, 1946) is an American former lawyer, political candidate, and sex offender. He was twice an Independent candidate in Maine's 2010 and 2014 gubernatorial races. In 2010, he placed second in a multi-way race, receiving 208,270 votes, equaling 35.9%, narrowly losing to Republican Paul LePage. In 2014 he garnered only 8.4%, placing third behind both the Democratic candidate as well as LePage, who was re-elected with 48.2% of the vote. Cutler had previously served in the Carter Administration as part of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
In May 2023, Cutler pled guilty to four counts of possessing child pornography, after being arrested in March 2022.
Cutler received secondary education at Deerfield Academy. He then proceeded to graduate from Harvard College and later earned a degree from Georgetown Law.
Cutler began his career as a legislative assistant to Edmund Muskie of Maine, helping craft the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act.
He served as associate director for Natural Resources, Energy and Science in the Office of Management and Budget in the Carter administration, and was the principal White House official for energy.
He then worked from 1980 to 1988 for the law firm Webster & Sheffield, focusing mostly on environmental and land use issues.
He was a founding partner of Cutler & Stanfield LLP, with fellow Webster & Sheffield associate Jeffrey Stanfield,Russell, Eric, "The working life of Eliot Cutler", Portland Press-Herald, September 22, 2014. which became the second-largest environmental law firm in the country, eventually merging that practice with international firm Akin Gump in 2000.
In 1990, Cutler purchased property on Shore Road in Cape Elizabeth. In an interview with Portland Magazine, Cutler recounted the purchase, "It took two years to find this property. Once we saw it and bought it, we wanted to build a house that sat well on land and was not overly imposing, from the road or the water. We needed lots of room for us and our family, a growing family along the course of time, where we could gather family and friends to enjoy the Maine Coast with us." Cutler resided in Cape Elizabeth with his wife, Melanie Stewart Cutler, during his gubernatorial campaigns. They have two adult children. In 2006, Cutler moved to Beijing, where he acquired a collection of Chinese vernacular furniture and antiques. When he moved back to his home in Cape Elizabeth, he integrated the Far East influence with the Maine mystique of the residence. In May 2017, Cutler put his oceanfront home in Cape Elizabeth for sale for $11 million, citing his intention to move to a condominium in nearby Portland and also to look for a place on the water in Maine. At the end of 2020, the home was purchased by Jonathan S. Bush.Jordan, Glenn, "Eliot Cutler’s mansion sold to Bush family member for $7.6 million", Portland Press Herald, January 28, 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
In a close election-night race, Cutler took an early lead.Richardson, John, "Cutler takes early lead in governor's race" Maine Today November 2, 2010 As the results came in from Maine's smaller and more rural communities, Cutler's lead shrank, and eventually opponent Paul LePage took the lead. Based on early, unofficial results, the Bangor Daily News projected that LePage would win, and Cutler conceded on the morning after the election.
Cutler finished a distant third, with LePage winning reelection. Though many Democrats believe that Cutler was a two-time spoiler, it is a label he and his supporters reject.Milakovsky, Brian, " A Cutler supporter, reluctant Michaud voter: What’s a pragmatic centrist to do?", Bangor Daily News, November 14, 2014.
Cutler endorsed Angus King in the 2012 U.S. Senate election to succeed the retiring Olympia Snowe. King won the election.
Since the 2014 election, the second in a row in which the governor was elected with less than a majority, Maine became the first state in the country to introduce ranked choice voting in its election, with the multi-way race between LePage, Cutler, and the Democratic candidate often being seen as an impetus for this action.Nilsen, Ella, "Maine voters blew up their voting system and started from scratch", vox.com, June 12, 2018. Cutler had been a proponent of this system during the 2010 election, believing he would have won if it had been implemented then.Colin Woodard, "Maine’s Radical Democratic Experiment", politico.com, March 27, 2018. However, due to the state constitution's rules on gubernatorial elections, ranked choice voting is not allowed to be used for the position.
Cutler announced on April 2, 2015, that he would not run for governor again, stating that he was taking a "vow of abstinence" from doing so. He also announced his appointment by the University of Maine System to lead the creation of a new graduate center unifying existing graduate programs at the University of Southern Maine, University of Maine, and the University of Maine School of Law.
In May 2017, Cutler announced that he would work with the political organization Maine Independents to recruit candidates for the 2018 elections. The organization was founded by supporters of Cutler's gubernatorial campaigns. He also announced his support for State Treasurer Terry Hayes for governor in the following year's gubernatorial election. Hayes would be defeated in that election, which was won by Democrat Janet Mills.
In September 2025, Cutler was accused of violating his probation by accessing Escort agency websites and having two unmonitored cellphones. He was released on $1,000 bail, subject to a random search of his home, and had to submit an inventory of all electronic devices in his possession.
In January 2026, Cutler turned himself into the Hancock County Jail after he was again accused of violating his probation, with prosecutors accusing him of possessing sexually explicit material. He was released on $10,000 bail. Under the terms of his bail, he will only be allowed to access the internet when approved by his probation officer, and is forbidden from accessing any material that depicts a nude person.
2010 gubernatorial campaign
On December 9, 2009, Cutler officially launched his campaign for governor of Maine. Had he been elected, he would have been Maine's third independent governor. He was endorsed by Maine's second Independent governor, Angus King.
2014 gubernatorial campaign
On June 6, 2013, Cutler announced on radio station WGAN's morning show that he would again run for governor, with a formal announcement coming after Labor Day. He dismissed the suggestion that his candidacy would result in another LePage victory, stating that he wouldn't run if he didn't think he could win. While he was again endorsed by Angus King on August 18, 2014 King withdrew his endorsement on October 29, 2014, in favor of the Democratic Party candidate, Mike Michaud.Billings, Randy, "Angus King switches endorsement from Cutler to Michaud", The Portland Press Herald, October 28, 2014.
Other political involvement
He served on the board of directors of Americans Elect, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) corporation which sought to gain ballot access for a presidential ticket, to be chosen through an online national primary, in every state in the 2012 Presidential Election.
2022 arrest and conviction
In March 2022, Cutler was arrested in Hancock County and charged with four counts of possessing child pornography. He agreed to plead guilty on May 2, 2023, to four counts of possession of sexually explicit material, and was sentenced nine months in jail, with 10 additional years of probation and a $5,000 fine. Prosecutors accepted the plea deal due to Cutler's age and the amount of time a trial could take. He was formally convicted on May 5, and reported to the Hancock County Jail on June 1. He was released early on January 18, 2024, on good conduct time. Following his release, Cutler must register as a sex offender for life.
External links
Categories: 1946 Births, American Lawyers, Americans Elect People, American People Convicted Of Child Pornography Offenses, American Politicians Convicted Of Sex Offences, American Prisoners And Detainees, Deerfield Academy Alumni, Georgetown University Law Center Alumni, Harvard College Alumni, Jewish American People In Maine Politics, Living People, Maine Independents, Maine Politicians Convicted Of Crimes, Politicians From Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Politicians From Bangor, Maine, University Of Maine People, 21st-century American Jews, Prisoners And Detainees Of Maine
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