Three candidates are running to replace longtime Democratic legislator Barry Hobbins to represent part of Saco in House District 14.

Democrat Donna Bailey, Republican Jeff Christenbury and unenrolled candidate Jacob Johnston are running for the seat.

HOUSE DISTRICT 14 CANDIDATES

Donna Bailey

PARTY: Democrat
AGE: 55
HOMETOWN: Saco
FAMILY: Married, two children,
two grandchildren
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, Bates College; law degree University of Maine School of Law
JOB: Attorney, genealogist
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: York County Probate Court judge, co-chairwoman Saco Zoning Board of Appeals, Saco Planning Board.
WEB INFO: dbformaine.com

JEFF CHRISTENBURY
PARTY: Republican
AGE: 31
HOMETOWN: Saco
FAMILY: Single
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, Broadcast Journalism, Boston University
JOB: General manager, Thornton Academy television, teacher
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Saco City Council, 2009-2010, Saco Republican Committee, RSU 23 withdrawal action committee.
WEB INFO: none provided

Jacob C. Johnston

PARTY: Unenrolled
AGE: 35
HOMETOWN: Saco
FAMILY: None provided
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, communications, University of Southern Maine
JOB: Small-business owner
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None
WEB INFO: none provided

Bailey, 55, is an attorney, former York County probate judge and former member of the Saco planning board and zoning board of appeals.

Her primary concern is combating the state’s opioid epidemic by strengthening law enforcement, prevention and treatment. Providing tax relief for seniors, possibly by offering state funding to help them pay property taxes and stay in their homes, is also important, Bailey said. If elected, she intends to sponsor a bill to take Maine off of daylight saving time.

“I think it is time,” Bailey said. “Study after study after study shows it does more harm than good in terms of lower productivity, people’s health and mental health. I would like to see Maine opt out.”

Bailey is in favor of requiring background checks for private gun sales, raising the minimum wage and legalizing and regulating recreational marijuana. She is a privately funded candidate who has raised $7,096 and spent $6,556, according to an October campaign finance report.

Christenbury, 31, is a teacher at Thornton Academy and director of Saco’s public access TV station. He is a former city councilor and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2011. He questioned whether state funding should be spent on renovating schools instead of classroom education, and said Maine’s public education funding formula is flawed. The state should also reform the citizen initiative process to make it more difficult to create policy through a ballot referendum, Christenbury said.

Christenbury is a privately funded candidate who has raised and spent no money in the election, according to campaign finance reports. Christenbury wants to eliminate the income tax and approves of background checks for private gun sales. He is opposed to raising the minimum wage or legalizing marijuana.

Johnston, 35, owns a small business in Saco. His main issues are to increase state revenue sharing for local schools, change property tax assessment to help seniors stay in their homes, increase technical and skills-based training, and enact automatic enrollment to increase the electorate. As a group of “lost graduates” who entered the workforce during the depths of the Great Recession, Johnston said college debt has prevented young professionals from buying homes, creating a rental housing crunch.

Johnston is a privately financed candidate who has raised no money but spent $1,292 in the campaign, according to campaign finance reports.

Johnston is in favor of raising the minimum wage and legalizing marijuana. He said he has not decided whether to support background checks and thinks the state should live up to its school funding commitment before lowering the income tax.