Andrew J. McLean

Democrat

Office Sought: Representative – District 27
Age: 31
Occupation: Student Affairs Administrator, USM
Education: B.S. in Meteorology, Master’s in Public Policy & Management
Family: Kyle, husband
Hometown: Gorham

Political experience

State Representative, 2012-present

Why are you running for office?

My dad is a retired firefighter and teacher, and my mom is a retired customer service manager. They taught me the values of hard work and responsibility, and inspired me to become an educator and give back to our community. During my first two terms in the Maine House, I worked to invest in workforce training, reduce the burden of property taxes, and fix our roads and bridges. In the last session, I was appointed Chairman of the Transportation Committee, where I went about meeting with transportation policymakers. It didn’t take long to realize that our state’s transportation network of roads, bridges, rail, airports and seaports lags behind the rest of New England and the United States. Our failure to invest in maintenance and modernization is negatively impacting economic development in our state. I have been leading a working group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers and policymakers to find common ground and build consensus on a transportation reform package to introduce in the Maine House this January. Over the last two years, I have co-sponsored legislation to provide suicide prevention training for educators and financial literacy education for public school students, and to increase the property tax credit for homeowners. Over the next two years, I want to work with my colleagues to expand healthcare for working Mainers, lower the cost of higher education, continue to reduce the burden of property taxes on Maine homeowners, and invest in our transportation infrastructure. Maine’s best days are ahead, but we need leaders who reach across the aisle to get things done. I hope to earn the votes of Gorham and Scarborough residents so I can continue this important work.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • Other

    I do not support eliminating the income tax, but I do support lowering it for low and middle income earners. Our tax system has not been modernized in years. I would support bipartisan tax reform.

• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes

    I support the 2nd amendment and reasonable steps to prevent guns from being purchased by terrorists, domestic violence offenders, and other criminals.

• Minimum Wage: In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  • Yes

    Working Mainers deserve a livable wage that will help their families make ends meet.

• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • No

    I do not currently support the legalization of marijuana. I am open to changing my mind. I strongly support medical marijuana.

• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • The approach to addiction must be multi-pronged. Police need resources to crack down on drug dealers and connect people with effective treatment options. Age-appropriate education and counseling services must be provided to make treatment services more readily available. That’s how we save lives and reduce the money spent on jails and emergency rooms.