If you’re looking for a change in the atmosphere at the State House, wander down to the House Republican office — an obscure warren of cubicles near the Legislative Council chambers.

When I visited Minority Leader Ken Fredette, he said things I hadn’t heard from a Republican officeholder in some time.

“We don’t want to be known as the mean people, the heartless people,” he said. “That’s not what this party is about.”

He did acknowledge that Republicans sometimes differ from Democrats in “where to draw the line” about definitions of need, but said, “We do care about the poor, the disabled and the truly needy.”

Fredette, an attorney, also has an unconventional resume. He grew up poor in Washington County, one of five children, and after graduating from East Grand High School became the first person is his family to graduate from college. He’s earned degrees in public policy from the Muskie School at USM and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, a law degree from the University of Maine School of Law. While maintaining a small legal practice for 20 years, he’s become something of a “professional student.”

When he was seeking the minority leader’s position against two more experienced rivals, he talked about the need to recruit more women and young people to run under the GOP banner. He won on the second ballot.

His political career did not begin auspiciously.

He lost a 1996 Republican House primary by 27 votes, then was recruited as a long-shot Senate candidate in 2006, losing to former Democratic Sen. Dennis Damon.

It wasn’t until he moved to Newport that he found success, representing the same district as former House GOP Leader Josh Tardy; he’s just now beginning his second term.

Striking a note similar to House Speaker Mark Eves, a Democrat, Fredette emphasizes where the parties can find common ground.

“There’s widespread agreement on the skills gap for jobs,” he said. Both parties, he said, “are concerned about the continued increases in the cost of Medicaid,” which he said still threatens to “swallow up the budget.” He also sees bipartisan consensus around domestic violence, and notes that Dexter, scene of a horrific murder-suicide case last year, is just down the road from his district.

He’s sponsored successful legislation to amend the bail code in domestic violence cases, and to make restitution to victims mandatory. He’d like to expand electronic monitoring both before and after trial.

Appointed to the Appropriations Committee in his first term, he points out that the committee produced its traditional unanimous reports on five of six budget bills — though the last one led to heated partisan disagreement in the runup to the November elections.

Fredette also takes a keen interest in energy legislation, and has filed a bill to speed the flow of natural gas to Maine. He takes a more studied position of the role of alternative energy than Gov. Paul LePage, saying “it needs to be part of the mix.” Overall, “what we need is for all sources to be able to compete on a level playing field,” he said.

Taking a long-term view is important, he said. He represented Maine on a joint commission with Canadian provinces that included several trips across the border. “When you go to their ministries — our Cabinet departments — they have plans for the next 20 years, hydropower expansion here, wind turbines over there, pipelines and power lines, too. Here, there’s really no strategy.”

Although Fredette concedes friction is inevitable in politics, he’s not a fan. He has been “pleasantly surprised” by Speaker Eves, and said communication is “cordial, both personally and professionally. We speak almost every day.”

And relations with Paul Le- Page, who’s refused to meet with Democratic leaders?

“They’re fine. He just spoke to the House [GOP] caucus for a half-hour. We’ve met half a dozen times.”

And yet one wonders. Fredette and LePage have similar backgrounds — both French, both growing up poor, both achieving at a level far beyond their upbringing. I asked why they seem to talk so differently about welfare and public education.

“We were poor, but I grew up with a loving family around me,” Fredette said. “He grew up on the street, with a lot of cruelty at home. Our experiences weren’t the same.”

Referring to Ronald Reagan, Fredette said his focus is on “a hand up, not a handout,” and that his job is “to help others have the same opportunities I did.”

DOUGLAS ROOKS is a former daily and weekly newspaper editor who has covered the State House for 28 years. He can be reached at drooks@tds.net.