Best of 2015: Who wants to be president?

This is day two of 12 posts looking back the pictures and video I shot for the BDN this year. Today’s theme is: Who wants to be president?

Maine has the same number of votes in the Electoral College as New Hampshire (4) but it gets nowhere near the same amount of attention from presidential candidates. That’s because our sales tax-free neighbors to south have the first primary vote in the nation. Still, a few candidates stopped by this year.

PORTLAND, MAINE -- 09/18/15 -- Hillary Clinton has a picture taken with supporters during a campaign event on Friday in Portland. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

09/18/15 — Hillary Clinton has a picture taken with supporters during a campaign event in Portland. Hillary’s event was not huge. It was town-meeting style, but without any questions. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

PORTLAND, MAINE -- 07/01/15 -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie exits Becky's Diner in Portland Wednesday morning after making an appearance with Maine Gov. Paul LePage. LePage endorsed Christie for the Republican presidential nomination. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

07/01/15 — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie exits Becky’s Diner in Portland after making an appearance with Maine Gov. Paul LePage. It was the second time the Jersey honcho visited the eatery. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

PORTLAND, MAINE -- 07/01/15 -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (right) mingles at Becky's Diner in Portland Wednesday morning with Maine Gov. Paul LePage in tow. Later, LePage endorsed Christie for the Republican presidential nomination. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

07/01/15 — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (right) mingles at Becky’s Diner in Portland with Maine Gov. Paul LePage in tow. It sure was crowded in there. The patrons looked stunned.  Troy R. Bennett | BDN

PORTLAND, MAINE -- 07/06/15 -- Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to a crowd of about 9,000 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Monday. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

07/06/15 — Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to a crowd of about 9,000 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. It was packed and the staff at the arena made everyone come and go through the same door. Seemed like a trampling hazard to me. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE -- 09/03/15 -- Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina takes the stage at a Maine Heritage Policy Center luncheon in South Portland on Thursday. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

09/03/15 — Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina takes the stage at a Maine Heritage Policy Center luncheon in South Portland. I’m drawing a complete blank on this one. But I guess I was there. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

FREEPORT, MAINE -- 09/01/15 -- U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, has his picture taken with a supporter on Tuesday at a campaign stop in Freeport. Paul is running for president. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

09/01/15 — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, has his picture taken with a supporter at a campaign stop in Freeport. This was another crowded affair. An enormous table of food took up most of the room. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

PORTLAND, MAINE -- 09/18/15 -- Hillary Clinton waves to supporters during a campaign event on Friday in Portland. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

09/18/15 — Hillary Clinton waves to supporters during a campaign event on Friday. This photo kicked up an amazing amount of vitriol on my Facebook page. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

PORTLAND, MAINE -- 07/06/15 -- Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to a crowd of about 9,000 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Monday.  Troy R. Bennett | BDN

07/06/15 — Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to a crowd at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. My boss said this was the best podium shot he’d ever seen. I should have asked for a raise. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

Troy R. Bennett

About Troy R. Bennett

Troy R. Bennett is a Buxton native and longtime Portland resident whose photojournalism has appeared in media outlets all over the world.