Age (on Election Day): 43
Party affiliation: Republican
Occupation: Self-employed
Community organizations:
Member, New Gloucester Public Safety Committee; member, North Deering Alliance Church
Hobbies, activities etc.:
Our family enjoys many outdoor activities Maine has to offer throughout the year.
Family status: Married; four children
Years in Legislature: 6
Clean Election candidate? No
Committee assignments wanted:
Appropriations; Education
What is the most pressing problem in your district and what do you plan to do about it?
Maine communities are in the midst of a serious drug crisis. We have increased drug agents and increased funding for treatment in the short term. However, Maine needs to have both short term and long term policies in place to attack the problem.
Gov. Paul LePage wants to eliminate the state income tax. Do you support that? If not, why not?
I support continuing to lower Maine’s income tax. We need to be careful about shifting the tax to a sales tax system or other tax shift proposal. We should not be discussing tax reductions without addressing reductions in state spending. We can’t keep increasing budgets and expect to lower taxes.
Are you willing to support raising the fuel tax to fix Maine roads? If not, why not?
The state needs to continue its commitment to fixing our roads. Budgets are about priorities and tough decisions. Simply raising a tax will not make those difficult choices go away.
The relationship between the governor and the Legislature has deteriorated over the past six years. What can the Legislature do to improve that relationship?
The question implies that the Legislature can fix the relationship. It takes both sides being willing to fix a relationship. I see this as no different. The governor and the Legislature can work together, it has been done. Both sides need to be better listeners.
What methods do you support to reduce opiate addiction in Maine?
Maine should assess what is working in terms of treatment and prevention efforts. Find the problems, seek solutions and be willing to work on this for the long term not just short term. Improvements have been made to Maine’s prescription monitoring program which is helpful in watching for opiate abuse.
How are you voting on the referendum questions?
Question 1: No
Question 2: No
Question 3: No
Question 4: No
Question 5: No
Send questions/comments to the editors.
