{"id":11964,"date":"2026-09-25T19:07:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/taylor-marie-west\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T19:07:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:44","slug":"taylor-marie-west","status":"publish","type":"candidate","link":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/taylor-marie-west\/","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Marie West"},"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\">I was elected to serve on my local school board in 2025.<\/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\">a. Infrastructure Investment\nb. Food Sovereignty \/ Accessibility\nc. Maternal Health Care<\/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\">After 10 years in the service, I have seen what it takes to stand up in the most difficult of\ntimes. I have also seen the impact of poor leadership and lack of awareness or\nrepresentation from people who claim to do so. I am ready to step up for my community\nand into the responsibility of providing a foundation for my neighbors.<\/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\">In Maine, food is a constitutional right, and we&#039;re treating agricultural PFAS contamination as a systemic state disaster. Maine addresses issues head on. We cut opioid overdoses in half. Here&#039;s where Maine is falling short. We are doing great work with food sovereignty, but there is no food available. We have PFAS legislation, but we don\u2019t work to remedy the business people have lost. We save lives, but our unhoused crisis is worsening because we lack the support infrastructure.<\/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 would listen to their most important needs from a legislative body, then use my knowledge of the legislature and team collaboration to make it happen. That alone is different, because most legislators are disconnected from their neighbors and don\u2019t ask constituents what they need.<\/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\">Maine should strengthen consumer protections. The state should hold insurance agencies accountable for neglect of consumer concerns. If a customer calls their insurance about something that could cause damage, like a tree, and cannot front the bill, companies should offer incentives to remedy the problem before a claim is filed. If the company ignores the customer, they should not have to pay the rebate on repairs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5069,"template":"","meta":{"voter_guide_candidate_first_name":"Taylor","voter_guide_candidate_middle_name":"Marie","voter_guide_candidate_last_name":"West","voter_guide_candidate_suffix":"","voter_guide_candidate_race_id":11963,"voter_guide_candidate_age":34,"voter_guide_candidate_hometown":"","voter_guide_candidate_occupation":"Full-time graduate student and stay-at-home mom","voter_guide_candidate_bio":"Disabled veteran","voter_guide_candidate_education":"BA in Communications and working on a graduate degree from American Military University\/American Public University in Public Policy & Law","voter_guide_candidate_years_in_municipality":"","voter_guide_candidate_headshot_url":"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/open?id=1rfJ-3E0U6KZarjstUML9k1jbvPsOVqVa","voter_guide_candidate_date_filed":"","footnotes":""},"vg_party":[1073],"vg_residence_municipality":[],"class_list":["post-11964","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\/11964","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\/11964\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11965,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11964\/revisions\/11965"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"vg_party","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_party?post=11964"},{"taxonomy":"vg_residence_municipality","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_residence_municipality?post=11964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}