Sara Gideon

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 48
Age: 44
Occupation: Assistant democratic leader, Maine house/state rep
Education: BA , George Washington University
Family: Married to Ben Gideon, 3 children aged 13, 12, 9
Hometown: Freeport

Political experience

3 years, Freeport Town Council, District 1
1 year as Freeport Town Council Vice Chair
4 years, State Representative Freeport and part of Pownal
2 years, Assistant Democratic Leader, Maine House

Why are you running for office?

Maine is an incredible place with good people. But our future will only be vibrant if we start planning and taking action in a very different way than we have been. That means planning for a global economy that is both competitive and quickly evolving. Our vision for the future has to include a plan for education, the environment and the future of energy in Maine. If we understand that each of these issues are intricately tied to each other, that no one issue stands alone, then we can envision a future that allows our children to one day have the opportunity to choose Maine as a home for their families.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • Other

    No tax changes are made without deep and far reaching consequences and there is no scenario in today’s Maine where an income tax elimination can be made without drastic effects on us, our children and our seniors.
    I do believe in consistently looking at our tax system and trying to improve it. This means making sure that that there is a progressive structure in place that keeps a proportionate share being paid the wealthiest of us. It also means making sure that regressive taxes like sales tax and property tax are not increasing the burden on the folks who can least shoulder it. That being said, I will always be open to discussions of rebalancing and responsibly decreasing the burden on Maine people.

• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes

    Listen, responsible and law abiding Maine people with no history of mental illness should be able to own a firearm. I just want to make sure that someone who does have a criminal history or who does have a history of violence or mental illness, is not able to hurt others with a firearm. This includes making sure that the background check system (which we already have) does not have any loopholes that allow for a tragedy to happen.

• Minimum Wage: In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  • Yes

    Over and over again, the Maine Legislature has failed to address the issue of minimum wage. Now it is in the people’s hands to vote via referendum. Quite simply, I think that someone who works hard everyday should be able to bring home enough money to put food on the table and pay their rent.

• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • Other

    I don’t support the legalization of marijuana because I have significant concerns about how this impacts teenagers, their use and their developing brains. I also have questions about this impacts public safety. However, I do feel strongly that we need a comprehensive look at the criminalization of drug offenses and how we can create smart reform that allows people to move on with their life productively after committing minor offenses.

• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • Absolutely not. We are not even making a dent in this enormous and tragic problem. Every day, we see the number of users, addicts and overdoses rise. This is out of control and we have not even begun to create the right solutions. Prevention and education, treatment and law enforcement are all parts of the solutions that we need. Though we’ve begun to create these programs, they are not adequately funded and not consistent throughout the state. Prevention and education is the number one thing we need to strengthen to stop this epidemic from continuing to rise. However, treatment is where the greatest need is. This not only means access to medication that allows people to escape their addiction, it also means ongoing counseling for those who make it past that first step. And of course, there is no question that adequate law enforcement strategies need to be in place.