OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Incumbent Democratic State Rep. Lori K. Gramlich, LMSW, will be running against Republican Scott Eccleston in the Nov. 8 election for House District 131.

The district includes the town of Old Orchard Beach.

Lori Gramlich

Gramlich, 59, is married and has one adult child. With a master’s degree in social work from the University of New England, she works as a social worker and is on the faculty of the University of Southern Maine School of Social Work.

Gramlich is the incumbent state representative, serving her second term for House District 13, which is the new District 131 after reapportionment. She serves or has served on the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; the Taxation Committee; the Commission to Study Water as a Resource, as the House chair; and as co-chair for the bipartisan legislative caucus on behavioral health. In addition, she was on the Portland School Committee from 2005 to 2008.

If re-elected, “my priority remains my commitment to the people of OOB,” Gramlich wrote in an email. “I will continue working on traffic and infrastructure issues. … Related, is protecting our beautiful beach and shoreline. We have seen the implications of climate change and its impact on our shoreline. My service has provided me with a strong voice on issues concerning our environment and my bill to protect Maine’s beaches and shoreline is now being implemented by Maine DEP.

“I will continue working on behavioral health care; namely assuring first responders have mental health care,” she said. “These priorities, as well as protecting our children from abuse, assuring older Mainers can remain in their homes and as always, assuring our veterans, who gave so selflessly, will get the benefits and care they deserve, will all be policies I will continue to advance.”

Gramlich said she is the best person to continue to represent Old Orchard Beach residents in the Legislature because, “my years of legislative service provides me with solid experienced leadership, with a track record of success, which is necessary to be effective. That, coupled with over 35 years advocating for those who might not have their voices heard in Augusta, and building relationships, are some of the attributes that position me best to continue serving OOB.” She volunteers with the Recreation Department, serves on Friends of The Ballpark, and works closely with the Chamber of Commerce, which “allows me to remain connected with our community.” She added: “Almost all the bills I introduced which are now law, were done so with strong bipartisan support.”

Scott Eccleston

Eccleston, 66, is married, a father of five and has 13 grandchildren.

The Vietnam era Army veteran is a college graduate, and a retired operating room nurse. He is a board member of the Old Orchard Beach Historical Society and director of the Lisa Huntress Memorial Pet Food Pantry.

Eccleston said in an email that “Maine’s the 9th poorest state yet has the 3rd highest tax burden in the country.” If elected, he said, “my first priority would be to give the hard-working people of Maine tax relief, allowing them to keep more of what they make. Augusta has been trying to squeeze blood from a stone for too long.

“Maine ranks 6th in the nation, and 1st in New England when it comes to food insecurity with 1 in 6 Maine children facing hunger. This is absolutely inexcusable and must be addressed.

“Health care in Maine costs each of us nearly $1,000 more a year than the national average,” he said, adding “we’re losing access to health care as hospitals eliminate neonatal intensive care, trauma units, and surgical services while nursing homes are closing and costs skyrocket. We need to rescind the vaccine mandate and bring the thousands of health care workers who were fired back to work, for their sake and ours.”

In addition, he said, if he were in the Legislature, he would “address Maine’s broken energy policy. Augusta is pushing us towards ‘green energy’ requiring 80 percent of all of Maine’s power to come from renewable sources, then throw roadblocks in that very same path. Lithium is a key battery component for electric cars and Maine has one of the largest deposits in America yet the Legislature made it illegal to mine. They also passed legislation that prohibits wind farms in state waters.”

“If you’re happy with how things are in Maine and want more of the same moving forward, then I’m not the candidate for you,” Eccleston said. “But if you want a state representative that will work tirelessly on your behalf, and who cares about the troubles facing your family and will fight for better, then I would be honored to have your vote in November. Learn where I stand on all the issues at my candidate blog: www.SCOTTforOOB.com.”