Warcraft-playing Maine senate candidate wins, despite opponents anti-orc smears

Remember Colleen Lachowicz, the Democratic candidate for the Maine senate whose GOP opponent attacked her for playing World of Warcraft?

She won.

Here's Robert Long on the Bangor Daily News:

Gamers from around the world soon rushed to her defense, making more than $6,300 in contributions via the website ActBlue to two political actions committees that supported her campaign. Those donations prompted the Maine Republican Party to file a complaint against Lachowicz with the Maine Ethics Commission.
The commission determined Nov. 1 that Lachowicz, a Maine Clean Election Act candidate, did not coordinate with the PACs for the fundraising and voted 5-0 not to proceed with an investigation.
As of Tuesday, outside groups had spent more than $184,000 on the contest, according to Maine Ethics Commission figures. That’s the fifth highest amount of outside spending for a 2012 Maine Senate race, according to the commission’s data. Of that total, more than $81,000 was spent to oppose Martin.

‘World of Warcraft’ candidate vanquishes opponent in Waterville (via Kotaku)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: elections • Games • happy mutants • maine • mmorpgs • politics

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Bob Warfield

For the horde!
- http://bradhicks.livejournal.com/ J. Brad Hicks
  
  Maine Voters: “Zug zug!”
- http://twitter.com/chriscoreline chris coreline
  
  My Life For Aiur… wait… crap :/
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ann-Sheppard/1138705125 Ann Sheppard

Thanks for posting this, I was thinking about it yesterday and wondering if she won. One of you posted on boingboing in ’08 about how it was ridiculous for candidates to pose with farmers, when more people play WOW than farm in America today. When I first read this story, I remembered that and thought, this flyer just might backfire on them.
- nachoproblem
  
  What about posing with WoW farmers? That probably wouldn’t go over well with the anti-foreign labor crowd.
Shawn Gaston

The best part is the video she posted to Facebook after winning.

http://www.facebook.com/colleenforsenate/posts/112404302253705
- http://twitter.com/chriscoreline chris coreline
  
  that is certifiably adorable.
- nachoproblem
  
  When I played that it forced me to flap my arms in the air, like a Pavlovian reflex.
Ryan Lenethen

Of course she won, she is Horde, totally OP.
- franko
  
  for the alliance, for lordaeron!
IronEdithKidd

Oh, snap! I feel a serious bout of Dr. Evil laughter coming on…
BookGuy

Illegal orcs take jobs away from real Americans. Mitt would have protected us, but you liberal pinko commie pinkos didn’t pay attention. WAKE UP, SHEEPLE!
- Little Mouse
  
  OMG! Are Sheeple going to be the next playable race?! I knew it!
Dave Lloyd

Woohoo a WoW senator – the US is in danger of becoming cool again!
Scott Lockwood III

Republican tears are the best, most tasty tears. They nourish my soul!
Jellodyne

Way to avoidance tank that trash mob, rogue.
- http://twitter.com/chriscoreline chris coreline
  
  knowing the republicans, it was probably grey anyway.
  
  *dum dum, tish*
acerplatanoides

visited the facebook page, came back to report on the “KNOCK ON …. ALL THE DOORS” meme. Brilliant.
spacedoggy

Zug Zug!!!
EeyoreX

It really highlights how out of touch from modern values and common discourse the Republican party has become; they thought they were smearing her when they were actually distributing facts that made her look cooler.
Atomicpanda

Her opponent now has a lot of free time on his hands. Might I suggest World of Warcraft?
allen

Looks like she came from behind!
chadmulligan

I want her to do something about the Horde’s advantage in PvP. Can’t she pass a bill or something?
Shinkuhadoken

I have a dream where people are judged not by the color of their orc, but by the level of their character…
Chentzilla

For the Win!
taras

I’ve never played WoW, so I don’t get most of the stuff in these comments. However, this did make my day! :D
JhmL

Last played (this character at least) about a year ago it seems. Still, once a wow-player, always a wow-player… :)
http://www.epinardscaramel.com TokenFrenchDude

GG