{"id":11701,"date":"2026-09-25T19:07:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/craig-v-hickman\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T19:07:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:41","slug":"craig-v-hickman","status":"publish","type":"candidate","link":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/craig-v-hickman\/","title":{"rendered":"Craig V. Hickman"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">Previous Offices Held<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State senator, District 14, 2021-present; state representative, District 81\/82, 2012-2020; president, Maine Electoral College, 2012; Democratic nominee for state representative, 2010; Kennebec County delegate, Special Democratic Nominating Convention for the United States Senate, 2026; delegate, Democratic National Convention, 2008.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">Top Three Priorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Safeguarding fundamental human rights; supporting veterans and protecting voting rights as chair of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee;\nensuring access to food, housing and healthcare; strengthening rural economic development; supporting farming, fishing and forestry industries while protecting natural resources; protecting children from abuse, neglect and death; and, as chair of the Government Oversight Committee, holding\ngovernment accountable through oversight of agencies and programs<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">Why are you running?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Public service remains my purpose and my duty. I\u2019m running for my fourth and\nfinal term in the Senate to continue representing the good people of District 14 in\norder to complete much of the bipartisan work set in motion over seven terms in\nthe Legislature and advancing policies that make life better for people. My\nexperience, leadership and commitment to working across the aisle to achieve\nresults are needed now more than ever in these divisive and challenging times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">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<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mainers do a great job keeping our soil, air, and waterways clean, even as we\nwork to mitigate forever chemicals in our soil and milfoil infestations in our lakes.\nWe must do a much better job safeguarding taxpayer dollars and ensuring that\ngovernment agencies and programs are more accountable to the people and free\nfrom fraud, waste, abuse, and other inefficiencies. And we must take better care\nof all our children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">As one of several dozen legislators in your chamber, how would you make a measurable difference for your constituents?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the most bipartisan voting record in the Legislature, I\u2019ll impact people\u2019s lives through landmark policy and community action. Listening intently to the problems of everyday people, even when you can\u2019t solve them, goes a long way. I will continue to do my best serving the individual needs of my constituents, however great or small, up to and including providing financial assistance with necessities, as allowed by the law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">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<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If legislators could pass laws that directly improve our economy or lower the cost of groceries and gas, Lord knows I would. I will continue to advocate for working-class tax relief through comprehensive tax code reform so working people and small business owners can keep more of their hard-earned money and remain self-sufficient. I will support polices that hold accountable the corporations that gouge prices on necessities such as food, fuel and prescriptions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5093,"template":"","meta":{"voter_guide_candidate_first_name":"Craig","voter_guide_candidate_middle_name":"Von","voter_guide_candidate_last_name":"Hickman","voter_guide_candidate_suffix":"","voter_guide_candidate_race_id":11700,"voter_guide_candidate_age":58,"voter_guide_candidate_hometown":"","voter_guide_candidate_occupation":"Organic farmer, small business owner","voter_guide_candidate_bio":"Co-Author and Original Sponsor, Maine\u2019s first-in-the-nation Right to Food Constitutional Amendment and the Maine Food Sovereignty Act; award-winning poet andaAuthor of three books; community chef","voter_guide_candidate_education":"Harvard University, bachelor\u2019s degree in government","voter_guide_candidate_years_in_municipality":"","voter_guide_candidate_headshot_url":"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/open?id=1wA-YJtLrNINdkxDCS2TIMCfKliXE8fFA","voter_guide_candidate_date_filed":"","footnotes":""},"vg_party":[1073],"vg_residence_municipality":[],"class_list":["post-11701","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\/11701","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\/11701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11702,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11701\/revisions\/11702"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"vg_party","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_party?post=11701"},{"taxonomy":"vg_residence_municipality","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_residence_municipality?post=11701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}