Illinois Billionaire’s $6 Million Maine Bet Falls Flat

Dick Uihlein, an 80‑year‑old billionaire from Illinois, poured almost six million dollars into Maine politics this year. He backed Republican gubernatorial hopeful Garrett Mason and a ballot measure that would stop transgender students from playing sports or using bathrooms that match their gender identity.

Uihlein’s money came mainly through the Restoration of America PAC, which spent about five million on ads for Mason. He also gave eight hundred thousand dollars to the Safeguard Girls Sports committee, the group that drove the transgender‑student petition. Both efforts ran into legal or electoral setbacks.

Mason finished fourth in a crowded primary, and the referendum is unlikely to reach the November ballot after a court challenged its petition signatures. Uihlein has no obvious connection to Maine; his homes are in Illinois and Wisconsin and his company Uline is based near the state line.

Other big donors, like Leonard Leo, own property in Maine and have a longer history there. Uihlein, who rarely talks to reporters, has funded many conservative causes, including Trump, an Ohio anti‑abortion campaign that lost, and an Illinois governor race that also failed. His recent Maine spend shows that even huge cash outlays do not guarantee wins.