State Rep. Ralph Tucker has said he has filed nomination papers seeking a 4th two-year term in the Maine House of Representatives, representing House District 50, Brunswick. Tucker has also collected enough $5 donations for the clean election fund to qualify as a Clean Election candidate, according to a news release.

Tucker has served as House Chair on the legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee for four years, and been on the committee for six.

Tucker is a retired Maine District Court Judge, and a former Brunswick School Board Chairman and town councilor. He was previously a partner at McTeague Higbee law firm for 19 years, and member and Chairman of the Maine Workers Compensation Commission for 11 years, appointed both by Gov. Brennan and Gov. McKernan.

“My reason for running again is to support Gov. Mills in efforts to reduce, and prepare for, dramatic climactic changes that are taking place here in Maine,” Tucker stated in the release. “With the new administration, we did some heavy lifting in the legislature to reverse course and set up aggressive goals for emissions and power generation, and also to protect our waters and land. For example, I was House sponsor and committee manager of the Climate Council bill, setting tough goals. Now we must give the Maine DEP, and its new Commissioner, the resources, funds and statutory authority to meet myriad such goals, in cooperation with other state agencies, municipal entities and businesses.

“I’d also like to continue work on expansion of medical care protections (like MaineCare), public education funding, property tax relief, tax fairness and economic development. These goals should be pursued with civility in public discussion and debate.”