{"id":11892,"date":"2026-09-25T19:07:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/denise-tepler\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T19:07:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:43","slug":"denise-tepler","status":"publish","type":"candidate","link":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/denise-tepler\/","title":{"rendered":"Denise Tepler"},"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\">MSAD #75 School Board, 2 terms, 1996-2002; appointed to Topsham Finance  Committee 2 3 yr terms 2008-2013; Topsham State Representative lost elections in 2008 and 2010, won 4 elections 2014-2022. Won state senate seat 2024.<\/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\">Clean air and water, protecting and innovating natural resource based industries (fisheries and agriculture), reducing dependence on property taxes.<\/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\">I am running to keep doing the work of supporting and aiding my constituents, fighting to protect the natural beauty of our state, and most of all working towards all Mainers being able to afford a place to live, good things to eat, and to see a medical professional when they need one.  I&#039;d also like my granddaughter to be able to stay in Maine, and want to stay in Maine when she grows up.<\/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\">Maine is on the right track in working towards more clean energy. Maine is on the wrong track when it comes to healthcare.<\/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\">I will answer my phone, return calls, and reply to emails.  It may not be immediate but I will get there!<\/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\">Preventing price gouging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5065,"template":"","meta":{"voter_guide_candidate_first_name":"Denise","voter_guide_candidate_middle_name":"Anne","voter_guide_candidate_last_name":"Tepler","voter_guide_candidate_suffix":"","voter_guide_candidate_race_id":11891,"voter_guide_candidate_age":70,"voter_guide_candidate_hometown":"","voter_guide_candidate_occupation":"Retired","voter_guide_candidate_bio":"Currently chairing Environment and Natural Resources and Marine Resources committees and unmanaged storm water commission. In the house, chaired Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services.","voter_guide_candidate_education":"Education: B.A. and M.A. University of Pennsylvania1978, 1981; all coursework and testing for Ph.D. (Incomplete) in Public Policy 2000-2010","voter_guide_candidate_years_in_municipality":"","voter_guide_candidate_headshot_url":"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/open?id=1EpW6Ldpdu8nVUI7L62G6gs82R_3kgBJz","voter_guide_candidate_date_filed":"","footnotes":""},"vg_party":[1073],"vg_residence_municipality":[],"class_list":["post-11892","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\/11892","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\/11892\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11893,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11892\/revisions\/11893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"vg_party","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_party?post=11892"},{"taxonomy":"vg_residence_municipality","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_residence_municipality?post=11892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}