State Rep. Heidi Sampson’s over-the-top diatribe about Sara Gideon was another example of Republican willingness to distort facts for political gain. She should be ashamed.

According to Sampson, Sara Gideon was solely responsible for every negative thing that happened in Augusta during her tenure as speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, including the Maine government shutdown of July 2107.

Yet the Press Herald reported that “House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, negotiated the compromise with LePage and Republican House Speaker Ken Fredette.”

The Democrats gave up a 1.5 percent increase in lodging tax and a 3 percent tax surcharge on income greater than $200,000 that voters had approved. Yet Sampson claims Sara never worked “across the aisle.” Or how about this headline: “LePage forces state government shutdown.”
In their editorial endorsing Gideon for the primary race held in July, the Bangor Daily News listed as Gideon’s achievements: Sara has worked hard for the people of Maine each day as speaker.

Rep. Sampson should not get to rewrite Maine history for political gain.

Mary Hobson
Topsham