SANFORD — Three candidates are vying for election Nov. 3 to House District 19, a sprawling district that includes a swath of neighborhoods from the Shapleigh and Alfred borders of Springvale village all the way to the North Berwick town line .

House District 19 was represented, until his death in July, by Rep. Bill Noon, who was elected to a second term in November, 2014. The winner of the Nov. 3 race will fill the remaining year of his term.

In the running are his widow, Democrat Jean Noon, Republican Matthew Harrington and Victor DiGregorio, who is unenrolled.

Candidates profiles presented here are compiled from telephone interviews and a candidate forum held Thursday night.

Jean Noon, 66, is a farmer, artist and retired school teacher who said she has “3 E’s for Augusta” – the economy, environment and education. She said the key to bringing jobs to the area is education that helps prepare youth for a changing job market and fully supports more trade and technical education. A trained work force will bring industry here, she said.

To address the heroin problem, Noon favors treating addicts and finding and jailing dealers. And as well as treatment, she said addicts need better opportunities for jobs.

“They need to be empowered in their own lives so they don’t seek these false highs that take over their life and stand in for real contentment,” she said.

If elected, she hopes to serve on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, and supports release of the voter-approved Land for Maine’s Future bonds, currently held up by Gov. Paul LePage. She notes that there have been projects approved by the committee and are waiting for funding.

Noon said she’s enthused about Sanford’s high-speed fiber optic broadband initiative.

“It’s a fabulous way to attract the sort of businesses Sanford needs because we’re a little too far from Portsmouth, a little too far from Portland and a little too far from the Turnpike and we really need more jobs here,” she said.

Asked at the candidates forum about how to get a handle on Maine’s hunger and food insecurity issues, she said she encourages more consumption of local food, which helps both the farmer and the consumer, and advocates for the ability of low income people to be able to purchase local food at farmer’s markets.

Matthew Harrington, 29, is a police officer with a background in firefighting and as an EMT. He said one reason people are food insecure is a lack of good jobs, and said creating tax incentives for businesses to move to the area and improving the infrastructure are ways to combat that issue. He also said the economy has improved over the past five to six years but the need for jobs remains. He favors reducing business regulations and said he’s a big supporter of Sanford’s broadband initiative and would support Ranger Solar’s proposal to build a solar farm at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport so long as it is financed by private investment.

Harrington said Maine needs to continue looking into welfare fraud and says it is very real. He said he wants to keep those benefits for the truly needy.

He also favors more drug prosecutors and also more effective treatment options for addicts and notes there is no inpatient program in the area. He said young people need to be educated with hard truths about what heroin can do, as well as strict enforcement and treatment.

“I am not in favor of incarcerating users, but heavily in favor of incarcerating dealers,” he said.

Additionally, Harrington said there needs to be more treatment for those with mental illness, and said some clients need intense supervision that comes with hospitalization.

He said the biggest issues he hears campaigning doorto door is taxes, and while property taxes are not in the Legislature’s purview, he said he can take tax considerations into account as he makes voting decisions.

Victor E. DiGregorio said he is semi-retired. A city councilor, he said he has previously been a business owner and was a substitute teacher for 20 years, among other pursuits. He said he wants to catalyze efforts to look into areas of senior citizen matters including home development and apartments. DiGregorio said he was born in 1944, and points out that Maine is the oldest state in the nation, and he estimates that 40 percent of the homes in Sanford and Springvale are occupied by people who are 70 years old. He said the state has to be more involved in senior citizens issues, and said he supports the proposed state senior housing bond “on the face of it,” but need to look at it more closely.

He said he believes taxes are too high, locally and statewide.

He said there is good thinking in York County toward the drug issue, and pointed out that Sanford Police Chief Tom Connolly has a vision consisting of a combination of treatment and criminal justice. He said senior citizens, drugs, Sanford’s broadband initiative and solar energy will be his focusses.

He said Sanford took a good step with its new high school and technical school project.

DiGregorio said he would continue serving as a city council if elected to the Legislature.

As an unenrolled candidate, DiGregorio said his independence means he’s not beholden to any party.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.