Republican incumbent Patrick Corey is running unopposed in Maine House of Representatives District 25, which represents part of Windham.

Corey, 42, is self-employed as a creative director. He is a resident of Windham and is married to Sheila Corey.

One of the most important tasks facing the Legislature is “bringing good paying jobs into the state and creating an economic environment where middle-class families can prosper,” he said.

The high level of opiate addiction is also among the state’s most pressing problems, he said.

Corey said the Legislature should continue to fund programs that combat the problem both from a law-enforcement perspective and a treatment perspective.

He also said there should be “greater emphasis in funding on charitable care,” particularly care opportunities for people after they are released from a detox center or the county jail.

Corey does not support the five referendum questions on the Nov. 8 ballot. He said if the questions are passed, their implementation would also be a big challenge for the Legislature.

He is against Question 1, to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational purposes, due in part to his concerns about children having easier access to the drug and how law enforcement officials will determine intoxication of the drug.

However, he said if the question passes, he will “think about the voters, and respect their wishes,” as the Legislature works to figure out how the drug should be regulated and taxed.

Corey said he opposes Question 2, to tax income greater than $200,000 at 3 percent to provide greater funding for K-12 education, because it may cause small-business owners to leave the state. He also expressed concerns that the money is not sufficiently earmarked for educational purposes and may be used elsewhere.

Question 3, which would require people who are not licensed firearm dealers to complete background checks before completing a gun sale or transfer, will “disproportionately impact law-abiding Mainers,” Corey said, and “criminals will continue to get guns without going through background checks. It’s going to make it almost impossible for people to do commonplace Maine activities like loaning a firearm to a friend to hunt with,” he said.

Corey does not support Question 4, raising the minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020, because he said it should be set at the federal level. He said programs such as the earned income tax credit will subsidize minimum-wage income. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

He does not support Question 5, rank-choice voting, because “it’s going to have constitutional concerns out of the gate,” he said, citing an interpretation of the referendum by Maine Attorney General Janet Mills.

Corey supports Question 6, which would appropriate $100 million in bonds for road construction projects.

Corey said he would not support impeachment or censure of Gov. Paul LePage following an obscenity-laced voicemail he left Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, in August. Corey said LePage didn’t do anything illegal to justify impeachment, and the constitution does not allow the Senate to censure the governor, because they represent different branches of government.

He may support a joint resolution calling for civil discourse in Augusta, “but it really depends on what’s in the resolution,” he said. “You can’t support anything until you read it.”

He said he will vote for Donald Trump in the presidential election.

Patrick Corey