{"id":11584,"date":"2026-09-25T19:07:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/mallory-cook\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T12:53:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T12:53:51","slug":"mallory-cook","status":"publish","type":"candidate","link":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/mallory-cook\/","title":{"rendered":"Mallory Cook"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Previous Offices Held<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Currently serving third three-year term on South Berwick Town Council. Current council vice chair and previously spent three years as chair.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Top Three Priorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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My top three priorities are property tax relief, affordable housing and access to quality, affordable healthcare. These are the issues that I hear about most from people who are worried about whether they can afford to stay in their homes, raise a family or retire here. I want to focus on practical solutions that make everyday life in Maine more affordable and secure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Why are you running?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I\u2019m running because I care deeply about this community and I believe public service still matters. I want to help make Maine a place where people can afford to stay, build a life, raise a family and grow old with dignity. I\u2019m not running because I think I have all the answers. I\u2019m running because I listen, I work hard and I know how to bring people together to solve problems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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What is one way Maine is on the right track? What is one way the state is on the wrong track?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Maine is on the right track in protecting reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights and other fundamental civil rights. Where we are falling short is affordability. High property taxes and a lack of attainable housing are making it harder for working families, seniors and young people to stay here. We need to make it easier for people to build a life in Maine and remain in the communities they call home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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As one of several dozen legislators in your chamber, how would you make a measurable difference for your constituents?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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My first-term goal is to learn how to be an effective legislator: understand how the legislative process really works, get the lay of the land and build strong relationships on both sides of the aisle. I believe measurable results start with listening, learning and knowing how to bring people together. That foundation will help me advocate effectively for North Berwick and South Berwick and turn our communities\u2019 priorities into real results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Surveys show the economy is the top concern of voters. What is a specific proposal addressing Maine voters\u2019 economic anxieties that you\u2019d work to make law?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I would focus on two costs squeezing Maine families the hardest: housing and property taxes. I\u2019d work to increase state support for property tax relief while removing barriers to building more workforce and starter housing. We need to make it easier for people to afford a home, raise a family and build a life here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":12810,"template":"","meta":{"voter_guide_candidate_first_name":"Mallory","voter_guide_candidate_middle_name":"Aaren","voter_guide_candidate_last_name":"Cook","voter_guide_candidate_suffix":"","voter_guide_candidate_race_id":11583,"voter_guide_candidate_age":38,"voter_guide_candidate_hometown":"","voter_guide_candidate_occupation":"Data governance director","voter_guide_candidate_bio":"Engineer, experienced manager and local official with a record of thoughtful leadership, public engagement and practical problem-solving.","voter_guide_candidate_education":"B.S.E. in industrial engineering, University of Michigan","voter_guide_candidate_years_in_municipality":"","voter_guide_candidate_headshot_url":"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/open?id=147T_gzoyIKQyODJ28dnXhjSzKEfByQqC","voter_guide_candidate_date_filed":"","footnotes":""},"vg_party":[1073],"vg_residence_municipality":[],"class_list":["post-11584","candidate","type-candidate","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","vg_party-democratic"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/candidate"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11585,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11584\/revisions\/11585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"vg_party","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_party?post=11584"},{"taxonomy":"vg_residence_municipality","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_residence_municipality?post=11584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}