Previous Offices Held
I have served three terms in the Maine House in the 129th, 130th and 131st legislatures. I have served on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee, Marine Resources Committee, and three terms on the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, including two terms as the House Chairperson of IF&W.
Top Three Priorities
My top priority is representing the interests of my district and Franklin County as a whole. This will include advocating for affordable workforce housing and access to local healthcare, especially for seniors who have worked hard to build our community and are now overwhelmed with rising cost of living and property taxes. My previous terms have taught me that folks need someone that will listen to them and help them navigate the bureaucracy.
Why are you running?
I am running because our community needs a representative with experience that can work across the aisle to accomplish things. I have produced positive results for our community and was rated as the most bipartisan representative in the 130th Legislature.
What is one way Maine is on the right track? What is one way the state is on the wrong track?
Maine is on the right track in conservation and the protection of our environment. We are one of the safest states to live in, with the lowest violent crime rate. Our quality of life in Maine is second to none. Our cost of living is higher than the national average, in part because of high energy costs and the costs of maintaining infrastructure across a large, rural geographic area.
As one of several dozen legislators in your chamber, how would you make a measurable difference for your constituents?
I have the experience necessary to hit the ground running and know how to get things done in Augusta. My history in the legislature shows that I can work effectively with all parties to get things done. As chair of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, I was able to get most of our committee's bills out with unanimous votes. In my last term, over half of the bills I sponsored were passed into law.
Surveys show the economy is the top concern of voters. What is a specific proposal addressing Maine voters’ economic anxieties that you’d work to make law?
To grow the economy of the state we need affordable housing, a skilled workforce, affordable energy and commonsense regulation of businesses. We can’t control inflation driven by Washington. We have to create opportunities ourselves and provide a future for our kids.