HARPSWELL

Joyce “Jay” McCreight, of Harpswell, has been selected as the new Democratic nominee for House District 51, which covers part of Brunswick, and all of Harpswell and West Bath.

McCreight, who is running for public office for the first time, was chosen in a July 14 Democratic caucus to replace candidate Jeremy Saxton. In late June, Saxton announced that he would not be seeking re-election owing to increasing demands at his family’s business, The Dolphin Marina and Restaurant, located in Harpswell.

“I’ve always been interested in doing whatever I could to help people achieve the goals they have set for themselves,” said McCreight, who retired in 2013 from a 30-year career in social work.

Working primarily with children, adolescents and families in a school setting, McCreight said that access to educational opportunities and the ability to earn a living wage are critical subjects in her campaign.

Volunteer work carried out in Brunswick schools, advocacy work in Augusta and her position as volunteer coordinator for Jeremy Saxton have prepared her for the work required of a state representative.

“As I become more involved in speaking out about issues beyond the social work setting, it seemed that this was an avenue for me to be more productive,” said McCreight, adding that she had been approached by party members who worked on Saxton’s campaign about running in his stead.

“Because of the communities I would represent, one primary focus would be marine resources,” said McCreight. “Yesterday I had a wonderful opportunity to talk with a lifelong lobsterman … about how challenging it is to find bait, let alone to pay for bait and pay for diesel,” she said. “That’s the kind of conversation that makes it so personal and real, and I have good support to have those conversations with people who are living it.”

McCreight has lived in Maine for 30 years, moving six years ago from the Portland/ Cape Elizabeth area to Harpswell.

McCreight’s husband, Tim McCreight, owns the Brunswick-based textbook publishing company Brynmorgen Press. They have a grown son who lives in Brunswick with one child who attends Coffin Elementary School, and a grown daughter based in Massachusetts who has three children.

A member of the grassroots, volunteer group Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, McCreight said she is dedicated to protecting access to health care, and has also been involved as a citizen in advocating for Medicare expansion.

McCreight also volunteers for the Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department auctions in July and August, and is a member of her local road committee.

Coming late to the race has been a challenge, said McCreight, who — like Republican candidate Byron Watson — is a Maine Clean Elections candidate.

“We had our first kick-off canvass (Sunday) with six groups in Brunswick and West Bath,” said McCreight, adding that the groups would be canvassing through Tuesday. “I’ll just have to step it up because my time is shorter.”

“I am deeply committed to this community,” said McCreight, in response to comment from opponent Watson that McCreight’s connection to the District 51 communities is “tangential.”

“My family and the towns in our district have families with deep roots established over centuries, with that said, my new opponent has only been here for five years,” said Watson in an email to The Times Record. “Five years is hardly long enough to know what our local values are, let alone represent them in Augusta.”

With experience working in Senator Olympia Snowe’s office, rallying bipartisan support to combat the green crab invasion would be one of his key areas of focus, Watson said, as well as ensuring veterans have access to services, looking for low-cost energy solutions, and allowing “our parents and teachers to choose the best educational path for our children, while putting an end to all the unfunded mandates from bureaucrats in Augusta,” he added.

“I was not born in Maine, but I have demonstrated my commitment by volunteering and advocating at a local and state level,” McCreight said, “and I think I have demonstrated that Maine is the way life should be.”

For more information about Democratic candidate Joyce “Jay” McCreight, visit her candidacy Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Joyce-Jay- McCreight-for-Maine-State- Representative- HD51/654945897928662, or contact her at jaymccreightmainehouse@gmail.com or call 449-3293.

For more information about Republican candidate Byron Watson, visit http://www.byron- watson.org or email him at byron@Byron-watson.org.