I’ve spent 15 years as a letter carrier – 13 working in Cumberland County for the U.S. Postal Service.

I’m a proud union member and president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 92. My branch covers 12 communities in Cumberland County, but my personal office is in Portland.

As letter carriers, we see the community at a level of detail that many do not. We pound the pavement, delivering mail to every door, driving and walking every street and road to get our job done. For some of our homebound neighbors, their letter carrier is the only regular point of human contact. Letter carriers keep a watchful eye open for these neighbors and, through our Carrier Alert programs, notify service providers when we see signs that could point to accident, illness or something else unusual.

We also spearhead the largest one-day food drive in the country, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, held on the second Saturday of May. This annual drive has collected over 75 million pounds of food, all going to local shelters and pantries (feeding many hungry families in Cumberland County).

That kind of community vigilance, collaboration and compassion is why the Maine State Association of Letter Carriers, of which I am the vice president, has endorsed Seth Levy for district attorney of Cumberland County. Seth is running to implement critical criminal justice reforms, and to make his plans a reality that will require innovative ideas and community partnerships.

Seth will treat the opioid epidemic like a public health crisis and advocate for expanded treatment, diversion and other services. The district attorney must take an active role as a community leader to make progress implementing criminal justice reform.

I hope you’ll join me in supporting Seth Levy in the June 12 Democratic primary.

Mark Seitz

Brunswick