BIDDEFORD — On Nov. 4, two newcomers will be going at it in the race to represent part of Biddeford in the House District 11 race.

Democrat Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford will face off against Republican Debi Davis, also of Biddeford.

Ӣ Davis, 55, is married and has two adult children. She is a radio show host/producer for the WLOB radio station. Her prior political experience includes two years on the planning board in Raymond and working on political campaigns.

Lower energy costs will be key in attracting new business to Maine, said Davis.

“Oil and electric are detriments to getting new business to move here,” she said. “Added energy options will help to reduce the cost of doing business here so that Maine can move up higher on the list of considerations when new business is relocating or expanding.”

Updating the tax structure is also important in attracting business to Maine, she said.

“Our income tax is a business killer and needs to go. I will propose we seriously look at a consumption-based tax, such as a flat tax or fair tax where the more you buy, the more you pay,” Davis said.

“When Maine can reduce the cost of doing business here, we will begin to attract new businesses that offer good jobs and careers to our people, growing a robust job landscape,” said Davis. “This will help to revitalize and encourage the 18- to 34-year-old population segment to stay in or return to Maine.”

To address the skills gap, she said, community colleges, the university system and the business community need to come together so “we can finally grow the kinds of workers we’ll need for the future.”

If elected, Davis said she would like to find ways “to teach our kids about money, budgets and business at an earlier age. Not everyone is college bound; some will prefer to work for themselves, and it’s up to us to get this taught in detail in the schools.”

Ӣ Fecteau, 22, is single. He is the editorial director at TrueLine Publishing in Portland. He previously served as a member of the Biddeford Charter Comm-ission, chairman of the Biddeford Demo-cratic Committee and as the York County field organizer for Mainers United for Marriage.

The key to attracting jobs and filling existing jobs with qualified candidates is bringing young people to Maine, said Fecteau.

The University of New England can play a role, he said. “Sixty-four percent of students at UNE come from cities and towns outside of Maine. If more of these students choose to live and work in Biddeford, businesses on Main Street to hospitals like Southern Maine Health Care will benefit,” he said.

Attracting young people to Maine can also grow the state’s tax base and off-set the rising cost of property taxes, said Fecteau. “Maine must focus on ways to encourage young people and young families to move back to our state; otherwise, we are going to miss out on the chance to grow our economy and workforce,” he said.

Most importantly, by losing young people, “the programs that are vital to Maine’s seniors will become more difficult to afford, which will squeeze middle class families via rising taxes.”

Regarding taxes, said Fecteau, the tax structure implemented by the LePage administration, which mostly benefits the wealthy, “must be reversed.” The wealthy, he said, are getting tax breaks, “while middle-class families find themselves paying more in taxes.”

He’s against reducing revenue sharing, said Fecteau, because “property taxes in local communities like Biddeford are already much too high.”

In addition, he said, “the reality is this: If our leaders continue to focus on what they can slash or cut from budgets, we will never grow as a state.”

Other issues important to Fecteau include expanding Medicare, producing new energy and having the state fund education at the mandated 55 percent.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.