Previous Offices Held
Won election to the Buckfield Select Board 2022-2025 Won re-election to the Buckfield Select Board 2025-2028
Top Three Priorities
Help the state mitigate household cost increases. Nearly everyone I talk with feels the squeeze while out-of-state investors buy up real estate, pricing out younger generations and squeezing seniors on property taxes and insurance. I support doubling the Homestead Exemption, a fairer income tax, and pushing the PUC to lower electricity rates. CMP's monopoly has raised rates 10¢/kWh since 2018. Better education and protecting our natural resources would be my other two. Reach out at www.AzaFor.ME
Why are you running?
I first ran for Select Board because part of my community felt unrepresented. I was the youngest member by 20-30 years, and running was conceivable only because of my community school and teachers who brought real passion for public service into the classroom. Since then, I've had opportunities from professional development to federal advocacy, all spaces missing our strong, independent rural voice. This wasn't expected, but I feel called to it more each time I meet another person struggling.
What is one way Maine is on the right track? What is one way the state is on the wrong track?
The Community Resilience Partnership has brought tens of thousands of dollars to our towns for energy efficiency, weather-resilient infrastructure, and waste reduction, funding communities wouldn't budget for otherwise. On taxation, Maine is on the wrong track: someone earning $61,500 pays the same rate as someone earning $999,999. We're taxing people into poverty. Maine needs a modern, true cost-of-living measure for basic necessities (housing, utilities, food) to build a fair tax system.
As one of several dozen legislators in your chamber, how would you make a measurable difference for your constituents?
I want to be a strong, persistent voice for our region through alliances with other inland legislators who will benefit from similar policies. A lifelong Independent, I am better equipped to work across the aisle, no matter who holds the majority. I will work to address constituents' needs, which are also my own. I too face high housing and healthcare costs, shorter but more expensive grocery receipts. Beyond the desire to make my community proud, I am a young Mainer who wants to stay here.
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?
Doubling the Homestead Exemption is vital. I believe we can separate school costs from property taxes, as the past legislature acted to cover the State's 55% obligation. I support restricting private equity from buying single-family homes, and pushing to support local farms so their food is more affordable and accessible. I also support a public option for healthcare, since much of our local tax increases stem from rising insurance costs.