OAKLAND — U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-2nd District, has put his home at 123 Snow Pond Road up for sale.

Poliquin, now in his second term in the United States House of Representatives, has claimed residency in Oakland since early 2014, when he announced he was running for Congress.

Poliquin owns property at three locations in the 1st district: in Bath, Phippsburg and Georgetown. He faced pressure during his run for his first term when he claimed residency at the Georgetown property before moving to a family home in Oakland.

In 2012 the congressman also came under scrutiny when he was still state treasurer for placing 10 acres of his waterfront Georgetown property into a program intended for commercial foresters under the state’s Tree Growth Tax Program.

Brendan Conley, the press secretary for Poliquin, said Poliquin has been looking to downsize since his son graduated from college, and that the congressman intends to find another home in the Oakland area.

“The Congressman’s property in Oakland has been in his family for decades, and he’s hoping to find someone that will appreciate the special home as much as his family has,” Conley said.

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The house is being listed by Brookewood Realty out of Manchester. Poliquin’s home was not featured on the company’s website as of Thursday, and a real estate agent declined to comment on what the listing price of the house is, as things were still in the works.

Even if Poliquin did not find another home in Oakland or anywhere in the second district, it is not a requirement for a member of congress to live in the district they represent.

Selling his home in the 2nd district could lead to speculation that Poliquin was making a run for governor in 2018. In February it was rumored Poliquin may be considering such a run. The congressman was unsuccessful in a run for the Blaine House in 2010.

However, political scientists say they have no reason to believe Poliquin means anything other than what he says.

Jim Melcher, a political science professor at the University of Maine Farmington, said there’s no reason not to take Poliquin at his word. He said Poliquin has been involved in real estate transactions in the past. He said it’s not inconceivable Poliquin would run for governor, citing his campaign seven years ago, but said he didn’t see how selling his Oakland home would help.

He already had people question him about his residence in Oakland when he ran for Congress,” Melcher said, referencing Poliquin’s successful 2014 campaign, when Poliquin had been living out of the district in Georgetown before moving to the family home in Oakland. “Moving out of Oakland would just bring all that up again.”

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Melcher said for those reasons, there’s not much to read into the sale.

“Until there’s a reason not to, I’ll believe what he says about this,” Melcher said.

Mark Brewer, a professor at the University of Maine Orono, said Poliquin putting his house up for sale certainly could mean he’s considering a run for the Blaine House, but Brewer didn’t think Poliquin would want to send an overly confident message about a potential run.

“My guess is that the reason is what he says it is,” Brewer said. “But we won’t know for sure until it all plays out.”

Colin Ellis — 861-9253

cellis@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @colinoellis


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