I’m writing to express my gratitude to the work that Karen Vachon has done serving on the Health and Human Services Committee in Augusta and her commitment to the community of Scarborough.

As a board member for Consumers for Affordable Healthcare, I had the opportunity to work closely with Karen in the last legislative session on her Medicaid ombudsman bill. Karen cares about the health and well-being of people. I saw firsthand how effective she is working across the aisle. The bill she introduced, sponsored and passed received unanimous Democratic support; she was able to garner enough votes on the Republican side of the aisle to override the governor’s veto.

As a physical therapist and health law attorney, I appreciate the value Karen brings to the Maine Legislature with her knowledge of health care and insurance laws. Equally important is her ability to work with people in a bipartisan way and her courage to take a position that might be in opposition to Governor LePage. She is a breath of fresh air to a political landscape that becomes more divisive each day. Though I lean to the left when I vote, especially in federal races, I believe Karen is the type of Republican who does her best to represent the best interests of all her constituents, regardless of their party affiliation. If you live in Maine House District 29, please vote to re-elect Karen Vachon on Nov. 8. This is the representation we need and should expect in Augusta.

Gwen Simons
Scarborough