Whereas most candidates in southern Maine are assured of getting their occasion’s nomination throughout the Maine state major this Tuesday, June 14, a couple of Democrats and Republicans must compete for it in the event that they hope to run within the normal election this fall.
Alongside coastal York County, there are three occasion races that voters will determine Tuesday. All are for the Maine Home of Representatives.
Home District 134
In Kennebunkport, Republicans Elizabeth Jordan and Ronald Russell each have their sights set on the GOP nomination within the race in opposition to Democratic incumbent state Rep. Traci Gere this fall. Gere is unopposed for the Democrats’ nod.
The district contains Kennebunkport and elements of Kennebunk and Biddeford.
Throughout an interview earlier this week, Jordan stated she is distinguished on this two-way occasion race by her dedication to combat.
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“To me, the occasions we’re in, now we have to be able to combat,” she stated. “I like our state. I really feel we’re on the verge of dropping our state. I simply don’t really feel it’s time for the established order.”
Jordan stated her fundamental concern, the one on which she is going to focus if elected, is inflation and the excessive price of residing in Maine. Taxes, gasoline costs and meals costs are too excessive, she stated. It’s all sufficient that Jordan – a widow on a single earnings – stated she is worried the time could quickly come when she will now not afford to dwell in Maine.
“We have to minimize taxes,” she stated.
Jordan was born and raised in Maine. She and her husband and their three youngsters lived in Virginia for a few years. She returned to her residence state in 2017, following the dying of her husband, based on her marketing campaign web site.
She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth College and spent a lot of her grownup life as a homemaker, mom, and neighborhood volunteer.
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Earlier this week, Russell stated he’s distinguished as a candidate by his 30 years of service in the US Military and by his years as a small enterprise proprietor. The army service, he stated, taught him easy methods to develop coalitions and arrive at compromises. His years as proprietor of Far Ridgeline Engagements, a consulting agency, made him perceive the impression of taxes and the advantages of tax breaks, he stated.
Russell stated essentially the most urgent situation in District 134, in Maine, and all through the nation is parochialism, the tendency folks have of “sticking to their events.” He stated people have differing opinions – you might have a Democrat who may be in opposition to abortion and a Republican who’s pro-choice, for instance – however you wouldn’t know that from the votes which might be routinely solid.
“That’s what I feel must be fastened,” he stated. “No resolution must be determined alongside occasion strains.”
Russell cited gun management as one other situation through which individuals are locked into their occasion’s line. He stated he’s a lifelong member of the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation, which he stated promotes the accountable use of weapons. As regards to retaining youngsters protected at faculties, Russell stated all sides of the political divide is taking too singular an method in looking for an answer.
“You must have a look at issues differently and compromise barely to get outcomes,” he stated. “There are some common-ground options in there someplace.”
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Home District 141
Democrats John McAdam and Patricia Kidder, of Sanford, are competing for his or her occasion’s nomination within the race for Home District 141. Lucas Lanigan, additionally of Sanford, is looking for the GOP nod on this race and is uncontested. The district contains Newfield and Shapleigh and a part of Sanford.
McAdam, who owns McDougal Orchards in Springvale along with his spouse, Ellen, cites his experiences as a farmer and his profession as a captain with the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as what distinguishes him in his bid for the Democratic nod in his district. He additionally talked about his file of neighborhood service in Sanford – he’s vice chair of the native planning board, managed the Sanford Farmers Marketplace for a decade, was as soon as an election clerk and a city assembly member, and sits on the board for the Nasson Group Middle, for a couple of examples.
McAdam emphasised environmental priorities when requested the place he would apply his focus if he wins each his occasion’s nomination and the election.
“As a farmer, I see local weather change first-hand right here,” he stated, talking from his residence on the orchard.
McAdam stated he’s involved about what the local weather will probably be like when his new child grandchild grows up. As a legislator, he stated he can be dedicated to serving to to make sure that Maine Will not Wait, Gov. Janet Mills’ four-year plan to handle local weather change, is totally pursued.
McAdam additionally stated he would deal with eliminating meals insecurity in Maine.
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Makes an attempt to achieve Kidder by telephone and thru social media have been unsuccessful. Nonetheless, statements she made throughout her earlier run for the State Home within the fall of 2020 recommend what her priorities might be if she secures the Democratic nomination and is elected in November.
In a Q&A she crammed out for the York County Coast Star, Kidder, a self-employed bookkeeper and tax return preparer, named rising property taxes, a scarcity of living-wage jobs, and excessive utility payments as prime issues confronted by the district. She spoke in assist of full income sharing and full training funding by the state, Renew New England’s purpose of making living-wage jobs within the area of renewable, inexperienced vitality, and a consumer-owned utility to exchange Central Maine Energy.
In civic and political issues, Kidder has been concerned with the Maine Folks’s Alliance and the Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Community and has volunteered in quite a few capacities on the Sanford Unitarian-Universalist Church, based on a bio she offered the Coast Star.
Home District 146
In Home District 146, Democrats Heath Ouellette, of Ogunquit, and Walter Runte, of York, are squaring off on their occasion’s poll on Tuesday, whereas Republican Bradley Moulton, of York, is the lone candidate looking for the GOP nomination.
The district consists of Ogunquit and elements of Wells and York.
Ouellette, who has a Fb web page, Heath Ouellette for Maine Home of Representatives, is presently the chair of the Ogunquit Choose Board. He states his roots and his historical past of labor and volunteering all through Maine because the strengths that distinguish him in his race for the HD 146 nomination.
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Ouellette, who owns a number of native inns and is a Realtor, was born in Van Buren, graduated from Hampden Academy and the College of Maine at Farmington, and as soon as lived in Cumberland, Oxford and Franklin counties, the place he stated he was concerned in nonprofit work and social service packages.
“That provides me a novel perspective of our state,” Ouellette stated in an interview on Monday. “It’s vital for individuals who symbolize our district to have a broader understanding of the state.”
Ouellette described himself as sensible, as a listener and as somebody who works with varied folks. He additionally stated he believes in bettering range on the state degree.
“I perceive what it takes to be an elected official and to get issues performed,” he stated, referring to his phrases on the native choose board.
If he will get his occasion’s nomination and is later elected, Ouellette stated he would deal with the financial system, significantly on affordability and rising prices, and on the setting, high quality baby care entry for working households, fairness for ladies and the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, and the power of small companies, to call a couple of points.
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“The state of our financial system must be the highest precedence of these elected to go to Augusta,” he stated.
In his interview with the Coast Star, Runte emphasised defending the setting and appearing to handle local weather change as his prime priorities. He stated his training, profession and neighborhood involvement on these two points distinguish him in his two-way race with Ouellette.
Runte is a U.S. Military veteran and and a graduate with a Bachelor’s diploma in math and chemistry and a grasp’s diploma in nuclear engineering from Pennsylvania State College. He additionally earned a graduate certificates in neighborhood planning and sustainable improvement from the College of Southern Maine.
He spent a lot of his profession within the electrical utility trade and within the clear vitality sector. Eight years in the past, he and his spouse moved to York, the place she has roots, to lift their youngsters. Within the time since, Runte has served as a member of the city’s Power Steering Committee and Planning Board. At the moment, he’s chairing the city’s Local weather Motion Plan Steering Committee.
Along with environmental points, Runte stated he additionally would make housing his focus if he wins his occasion’s nomination subsequent week and is elected in November. He stated he realized rather a lot in regards to the topic throughout his time on the planning board.
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Going door to door as a candidate, Runte stated his emphases on local weather, the setting, vitality and electrical energy, and housing appear to attach with voters.
“My deal with these 4 points appear to resonate with the folks I converse with,” he stated.
Uncontested state Senate races
Democratic incumbent Sen. Henry Ingwersen, of Arundel, and Republican David Corbett, of Lyman, are looking for their occasion’s nominations for Maine Senate District 32, which contains Arundel, Lyman, Dayton, Hollis and Biddeford.
Republican Matthew Harrington, of Sanford, who’s “terming out” as a state consultant, and Democrat Kendra Williams, of Sanford, are looking for their occasion’s nod for SD 33, comprising Sanford, Lebanon, Alfred and Waterboro.
Democratic incumbent Sen. Joseph Rafferty, of Kennebunk, and Republican Brad Ducharme, of Kennebunk, are looking for their occasion’s nomination in SD 34, which consists of Berwick, North Berwick, and elements of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells.
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And, lastly, Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Lawrence, of Eliot, and Republican Julie Rakic, of Kittery, are pursuing their occasion’s nominations in SD 35, which contains South Berwick, Eliot, and elements of York, Kittery, and Ogunquit.
Uncontested Home District (HD) Races
Republican Todd DiFede and Democrat Dan Sayre, of Kennebunk, are looking for their occasion’s nominations in HD 135, which is comprised of Kennebunk.
Republican incumbent State Rep. Wayne Parry and Democrat Kirstan Watson, each of Arundel, are looking for their occasion’s nomination in HD 140, which consists of Arundel and Dayton and a part of Lyman.
Democrat Joseph Hanslip and Republican Pamela Buck, each of Sanford, are pursuing their occasion’s nominations in HD 142, which is comprised of a part of Sanford.
Democrat Wes Davie and Republican Matthew Toth, each of Sanford, are looking for their occasion’s nomination for HD 143, which consists of a part of Sanford.
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Republican incumbent State Rep. Tim Roche and Democrat Dan Hobbs, each of Wells, are looking for their occasion’s nomination in HD 145, which is comprised of a part of Wells.
Republican David Koopman and Democrat Holly Sargent, each of York, are pursuing their occasion’s nomination in HD 147, which consists of a part of York.
Democratic incumbent State Rep. Tiffany Roberts, of South Berwick, and Republican Mark Rouillard, of North Berwick, are looking for their occasion’s nomination in HD 149, which is comprised of elements of South Berwick and North Berwick.
Democratic incumbent State Rep. Michele Meyer and Republican David Rumery, each of Eliot, are looking for their occasion’s nomination in HD 150, which consists of Eliot and elements of South Berwick and Kittery.
And, lastly, Democratic incumbent State Rep. Kristi Mathieson and Republican Howard Patten, each of Kittery, are pursuing their occasion’s nominations in HD 151, which consists of most of Kittery.
Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher said “f— you” to a man during a Thursday meeting at which fishermen assailed him for a state plan to raise the size limit for lobster.
The heated exchange came on the same day that Keliher withdrew the proposal, which came in response to limits from regional regulators concerned with data showing a 35 percent decrease in lobster population in the state’s biggest fishing area.
It comes on the heels of fights between the storied fishery and the federal government over proposed restrictions on fishing gear that are intended to preserve the population of endangered whales off the East Coast. It was alleviated by a six-year pause on new whale rules negotiated in 2022 by Gov. Janet Mills and the state’s congressional delegation.
“I think this is the right thing to do because the future of the industry is at stake for a lot of different reasons,” Keliher told the fishermen of his now-withdrawn change at a meeting in Augusta on Thursday evening, according to a video posted on Facebook.
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After crosstalk from the crowd, Keliher implored them to listen to him. Then, a man yelled that they don’t have to listen to him because the commission “sold out” to federal regulators and Canada.
“F— you, I sold out,” Keliher yelled, prompting an angry response from the fishermen.
“That’s nice. Foul language in the meeting. Good for you. That’s our commissioner,” a man shouted back.
Keliher apologized to the crowd shortly after making the remark and will try to talk with the man he directed the profanity to, department spokesperson Jeff Nichols said. The commissioner issued a Friday statement saying the remarks came as a result of his passion for the industry and criticisms of his motives that he deemed unfair, he said.
“I remain dedicated to working in support of this industry and will continue to strengthen the relationships and build the trust necessary to address the difficult and complex tasks that lay ahead,” Keliher said.
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Spokespeople for Gov. Janet Mills did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether she has spoken to Keliher about his remarks.
Lobstermen pushed back in recent meetings against the state’s plan, challenging the underlying data. Now, fishermen can keep lobsters that measure 3.25 inches from eye socket to tail. The proposal would have raised that limit by 1/16 of an inch and would have been the first time the limit was raised in decades.
The department pulled the limit pending a new stock survey, a move that U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine’s 2nd District, hailed in a news release that called the initial proposal “an unnecessary overreaction to questionable stock data.”
Keliher is Maine’s longest-serving commissioner. He has held his job since former Gov. Paul LePage hired him in 2012. Mills, a Democrat, reappointed the Gardiner native after she took office in 2019. Before that, he was a hunting guide, charter boat captain and ran the Coastal Conservation Association of Maine and the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission.
The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Anna Kellar is the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Maine.
This past November, my 98-year-old grandmother was determined that she wasn’t going to miss out on voting for president. She was worried that her ballot wouldn’t arrive in the mail in time. Fortunately, her daughter — my aunt — was able to pick up a ballot for her, bring it to her to fill out, and then return it to the municipal office.
Thousands of Maine people, including elderly and disabled people like my grandmother, rely on third-party ballot delivery to be able to vote. What they don’t know is that a referendum heading to voters this year wants to take away that ability and install other barriers to our constitutional right to vote.
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The “Voter ID for Maine” citizen’s initiative campaign delivered their signatures to the Secretary of State this week, solidifying the prospect of a November referendum. The League of Women Voters of Maine (LWVME) opposes this ballot initiative. We know it is a form of voter suppression.
The voter ID requirement proposed by this campaign would be one of the most restrictive anywhere in the county. It would require photo ID to vote and to vote absentee, and it would exclude a number of currently accepted IDs.
But that’s not all. The legislation behind the referendum is also an attack on absentee voting. It will repeal ongoing absentee voting, where a voter can sign up to have an absentee ballot mailed to them automatically for each election cycle, and it limits the use and number of absentee ballot dropboxes to the point where some towns may find it impractical to offer them. It makes it impossible for voters to request an absentee ballot over the phone. It prevents an authorized third party from delivering an absentee ballot, a service that many elderly and disabled Mainers rely on.
Absentee voting is safe and secure and a popular way to vote for many Mainers. We should be looking for ways to make it more convenient for Maine voters to cast their ballots, not putting obstacles in their way.
Make no mistake: This campaign is a broad attack on voting rights that, if implemented, would disenfranchise many Maine people. It’s disappointing to see Mainers try to impose these barriers on their fellow Mainers’ right to vote when this state is justly proud of its high voter participation rates. These restrictions can and will harm every type of voter, with senior and rural voters experiencing the worst of the disenfranchisement. It will be costly, too. Taxpayers will be on the hook to pay for a new system that is unnecessary, expensive, and harmful to Maine voters.
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All of the evidence suggests that voter IDs don’t prevent voter fraud. Maine has safeguards in place to prevent fraud, cyber attacks, and other kinds of foul play that would attempt to subvert our elections. This proposal is being imported to Maine from an out-of-state playbook (see the latest Ohio voter suppression law) that just doesn’t fit Maine. The “Voter ID for Maine” campaign will likely mislead Mainers into thinking that requiring an ID isn’t a big deal, but it will have immediate impacts on eligible voters. Unfortunately, that may be the whole point, and that’s what the proponents of this measure will likely refuse to admit.
This is not a well-intentioned nonpartisan effort. And we should call this campaign what it is: a broad attack on voting rights in order to suppress voters.
Maine has strong voting rights. We are a leader in the nation. Our small, rural, working-class state has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country. That’s something to be proud of. We rank this high because of our secure elections, same-day voter registration, no-excuse absentee ballots, and no photo ID laws required to vote. Let’s keep it this way and oppose this voter suppression initiative.
The chair of the Maine Democratic Party announced Thursday she won’t seek reelection when members select leaders later this month.
Bev Uhlenhake, a former city councilor and mayor in Brewer and former chair of the Penobscot County Democrats, has served as chair of the state party since January 2023. She is also a previous vice chair of the party.
In a written statement, Uhlenhake noted some of the recent successes and challenges facing Democrats, including the reelection of Democratic majorities in both the Maine House and Senate last November, though by narrower margins, and winning three of Maine’s four electoral votes for Vice President Kamala Harris.
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“While we have laid a solid foundation from which Maine Democrats can build toward even greater success in 2026 and beyond, I have decided to step away from Maine Democratic Party leadership for personal and professional reasons, and will not seek reelection,” Uhlenhake said.
Party Vice Chair Julian Rogers, who was also elected to his post in 2023, announced he also won’t seek reelection to leadership, but will resume a previous role he held as vice chair of the party’s committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging.
Democratic State Committee members will vote for the party’s next leaders in elections to be held on Sunday, Jan. 26.
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