Former Maine Gov. Paul Lepage will be on the state’s 2022 gubernatorial ballot after the Maine’s Secretary of State’s office quickly certified his petition signatures submitted on Wednesday.Flanked by his wife, Ann, and dozens of supporters, LePage the 73-year-old former two-term Republican governor, marched from the official governor's residence, Blaine House, to the state elections division to hand in a box that his campaign said contained more than the required 2,000 signatures to qualify for the June primary ballot.LePage, who announced his campaign last September, is unopposed for his party's nomination to face his successor, Democrat Janet Mills, in November. LePage led the state for eight years following his 2010 election. Mills was elected in 2018.Lepage said he has a better idea than Mills’ new budget plan to rebate half of the state's $822 million revenue surplus.LePage told reporters, "I urge her, today, please, Gov. Mills, take the $400 million, and instead of $500 checks, lower the income tax effective immediately, so 2021 people can get money right now to fill their oil tanks." Lepage said he wants to eliminate the state income tax, but he has yet to explain how he would replace those funds, which account for 43% of state revenue and balance the budget. He deflected a question about whether the budget surplus is an indicator of prosperity, arguing the state’s economy and Mills administration has been propped up federal aid.“Uncle Joe’s given her $14.7 billion dollars,” LePage said, referring to President Joe Biden.Lepage said he wants to end Mills’ mandate for all health care workers to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus."The heroes of 2020 got fired in 2021 – they're going to go back to work," LePage said.Maine’s largest medical companies, Maine Health and Northern Light Health, which own two-thirds of state hospitals and employ three-quarters of Maine doctors and nurses, have their own mandates as private employers.In her State of the State address last week, Mills emphatically defended her vaccine mandate. Mills told the full state legislature, “I know there are some who say that requiring our health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 was a bad move. To them, I say, the American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, and the American Academy of Pediatricians, along with the Maine Medical Association, Maine Hospital Association, and Maine Health Care Association; Maine’s two largest hospital systems — and not to mention the United States Supreme Court, which upheld the federal vaccine requirement and let ours stand – they all disagree with you, and they all can’t be wrong.”LePage said he would also like to end indoor mask mandates in schools.“I think parents are better equipped to deal with COVID than Janet Mills,” he said.But those mandates for teachers and students have been imposed by local school boards.Maine Democrats said Wednesday of if LePage were to return to the office, the “tremendous progress” under the Mills during the past three years, especially in education and health care, would be "at risk.”Democrats point to 89,284 Mainer residents who enrolled in MaineCare through Medicaid expansion, which Lepage had blocked, and the state finally funding 55% of public school K-12 budgets, as required by law 15 years ago.In a written statement, Mills' campaign manager Alexandra Raposo said, “Under the leadership of Governor Mills, Maine has one of the highest vaccination rates, one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates, a record budget surplus, and a record high Rainy Day Fund. Our unemployment claims are back to pre-pandemic levels, our GDP is growing, and our economy is making a comeback.”To face off against LePage in November, Mills has until March 15 to submit her ballot petition.