Previous Offices Held
Current vice chair of Old Orchard Beach Town Council, first elected as a member by special election in 2013. Concurrently seeking reelection to Town Council.
Top Three Priorities
1. Housing affordability, lowering taxes and strengthening our economy, which will lower the cost of living so working families and seniors can afford to stay in Maine. 2. Increase access to affordable quality healthcare. 3. Bring common sense and cooperation back to Augusta.
Why are you running?
I’m running because I believe we can do better. Mainers are tired of politics being about defeating the other side instead of working for the people we serve. Republicans and Democrats both have good ideas, and neither has all the answers. I want to bring a commonsense problem-solving approach to Augusta by listening to the people we serve and truly hearing one another, finding common ground and getting to work finding real solutions for the people of Old Orchard Beach and Maine.
What is one way Maine is on the right track? What is one way the state is on the wrong track?
Maine gets it right when we invest in people, communities and qualities that make this state special. We get it wrong when politics and division become more important than results. Mainers are practical and strong. We want affordable lives, good jobs and strong communities, not political warfare. We need compromise, more listening and the recognition that good ideas can come from both sides.
As one of several dozen legislators in your chamber, how would you make a measurable difference for your constituents?
One legislator can make a difference by showing up, listening and building relationships on both sides of the aisle. I will answer calls, help people to navigate state government and fight for Old Orchard Beach. But I will also work with anyone, regardless of party, who has a good idea. Success isn't defeating the other party. Success is getting something done that makes life better for the people we were elected to serve.
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?
I would make lowering Maine’s cost of living a priority, beginning with meaningful property tax and energy-cost relief. Groceries, electricity, heating, housing and taxes are stretching families and seniors too far. We also can't ignore healthcare. For decades, politicians have promised to fix healthcare costs, yet Mainers continue to be crippled by premiums, deductibles and costs. Maybe there isn’t one perfect solution — but doing nothing because we cannot agree on everything is unacceptable.