State, county races heat up

In the Tuesday, November 6, general election, Maine voters will be electing a new governor to succeed Republican Paul LePage, whose eight years in office have been marked by controversy, including his decision to close the Downeast Correctional Facility in Washington County. A tight and heated race in the 2nd Congressional District also is generating significant voter interest, while Washington County voters will choose a new state senator and face numerous choices in races for seats in the Maine House of Representatives.
Maine's ranked-choice voting will be used only in the races for the federal offices of U.S. Senate and U.S. Representative to Congress; it will not be used in the four-way race for governor.
For the U.S. Senate, incumbent independent Angus King of Brunswick is being challenged by Republican candidate Eric Brakey, a state senator from Auburn, and Democratic candidate Zak Ringelstein of Yarmouth. Write-in candidate James Riley Jr. of Bar Harbor, a Republican, is also running.
For the U.S. House in the 2nd Congressional District, incumbent Republican Bruce Poliquin of Oakland faces three challengers: Maine House Assistant Majority Leader Jared Golden, the Democratic candidate from Lewiston; independent Tiffany Bond of Portland; and independent William Hoar of Southwest Harbor.
In the four-way race to succeed Paul LePage as governor are independent candidates Alan Caron of Freeport, the founder of GrowSmart Maine and Envision Maine; Terry Hayes of Buckfield, the state treasurer; Democratic candidate Janet Mills of Farmington, the state attorney general; and Republican candidate Shawn Moody, a businessman from Gorham. There also are four write-in candidates: independent Kenneth Capron of Portland; independent John Jenkins of Owls Head; Reform Maine's Future party candidate Malon Tracy of West Gardiner; and J. Martin Vachon of Mariaville.
Profiles of candidates in Washington County races follow. They were asked questions about economic development, the opioid crisis and the decision to close the Downeast Correctional Facility.

STATE SENATE DISTRICT 6
For the State Senate District 6 seat, Republican candidate Marianne Moore of Calais and Democratic candidate Christina Therrien of Machias are vying to replace Joyce Maker of Calais.

Marianne Moore
Marianne Moore has served for nine years on the Calais City Council and four as the city's mayor. She has 30 years of corporate experience, 12 years as a small business owner and has served on numerous boards and committees.
Workforce development is her top focus when it comes to economic development and education. "We're all going to need to work on it." She points to the recent hire at the community college of a person who will be identifying what curriculum businesses need in order to hire, similar to the program put in place for the tissue mill in Baileyville. The University of Maine at Machias is the perfect location for aquaculture, she notes. She would support bond issues such as the two before voters that fund infrastructure upgrades for the university and community college campuses. "As the bonds are approved, we need to make sure the funds are released," she adds.
Moore would revisit a bill brought forward by Senator Joyce Maker that would create a healthcare pilot project specifically targeted at substance use issues. While the bill was eventually voted down, she believes that it could be resubmitted successfully. "I want to prioritize some of the bills like LD 812, and resubmit with new background information."
"The need for Downeast Correctional Facility is great," Moore says of the prison's closure. She would work to fund the prison reopening, or alternatively have the governor release the $10 million in bond funds for a pre‑release center. Not having the facility "is a huge gap."
In addition Moore supports revenue sharing to the 5% level that is the law. "We need that relief for property tax." She supports the state funding public education at the 55% mandated level, which has never been met. "We need to educate our children and compensate our teachers." She points to the needs of the county's elderly and veterans, with the lack of nursing homes and beds in the county a serious healthcare issue. She also supports finding the necessary funding for the 2017 voter‑approved Medicaid expansion.

Christina Therrien
Christina Therrien has worked in municipal management for 20 years, with five in public service. Currently she is the Machias town manager. Her experience ranges from economic development and budget and finance, to general assistance and more. She has served on numerous boards and committees.
Economic development and education are key to developing partnerships between the business and education worlds to create program designs that would bring businesses to the county, Therrien says. Education funding has been limited, so building those partnerships "would go a long way" to combining funds from both sides. Companies would be willing to invest if they knew the workforce had the skill sets they need for operations, she adds.
In tackling the substance use crisis in the county, Therrien points to the lack of opportunities for the younger generations. Mentorships that offer strong role models would be one solution. "Kids need role models" and "offered a different way." It's been proven, she notes, that providing such programs at a younger age works. Therrien would find the funds to strengthen and develop such programs, pointing out that the county does not need to reinvent the wheel. "There are plenty of examples of where this type of issue has been tackled."
The closure of the Downeast Correctional Facility was the catalyst for why she decided to run for office. Therrien says that while she did research for the public hearings on the closure she found it a very frustrating process. The facility was an integral part of the county, and the pre‑release transition skills learned by inmates were done "better than anyone else in the system." She would "work very hard" to bring back the prison or establish a pre‑release facility.
Therrien stresses her ability to work with diverse interests and to be fiscally responsible while making sure that people's needs are met. "There's a balanced approach," she says, and as an example stresses her belief in providing healthcare to those who are eligible. A healthy and strong workforce benefits the society and the economy, she adds.

HOUSE DISTRICT 138
In Maine House District 138, incumbent Democratic Rep. Robert Alley of Beals is being challenged by Republican candidate Kimberley Robinson of Addison.

Robert Alley
A Vietnam veteran, Robert Alley is a retired teacher, lobster fisherman and truck driver. He states, "The economy in Downeast Maine and the state, for that matter, depends on a skilled workforce to be successful and large investments, like Sappi, and support of Maine's universities. We need to retain our workforce, to have the infrastructure and resources to recruit students in state and out and slow the minimum wage, while protecting the economy." Noting that not all youth grow up looking to make commitments to college, the military, building a business or helping other people, he says that therefore education plays a major role "in stability, professionalism, teaching other people how to get along."
Concerning the substance abuse crisis, Alley says that he has been "working on the problem for three years while in Augusta" and has tried to ensure that there are funds for that effort. He has worked with the Arise Addiction Recovery group in Machias. He feels strongly that, if the Downeast Correctional Facility is reopened, the inmates there will significantly benefit from the DCF programs, find help through the work‑release program and be better able to reenter society.
"Having things like what the governor did at Downeast Correctional Facility did not help Washington County; it hurt us. Businesses counted on the work-release program, so it slowed down the economy, jobs disappeared, people had to move and some sold their homes." Alley has spoken with area legislators and gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills about the issue, and he says Mills told him that if she is elected "we will see DCF come to life and we will have a workforce and school for educating people to help them with drugs and teaching them new job skills."
Alley states, "I have three main priorities -- the economy, jobs/new jobs and making Downeast vibrant and economically stable by adding new businesses in Downeast Maine." He adds, "I am running for reelection because a lot of people out there in Washington County and the great State of Maine need honest, hard‑working, respectful and caring people."

Kimberley Robinson
Kimberley Robinson works for Fedcap Opportunities Center in Machias and previously worked for the Washington-Hancock Community Agency and other businesses, primarily doing bookkeeping and administrative work. She grew up in Harrington, went to college in New Hampshire and moved back to Washington County in 2003.
She states, "Putting the vocational training for machine shop and wood shop back in the high schools could be a benefit for the younger students who do not plan on attending college. I believe investing more into the vocational schools to train students in a trade could be just as beneficial as a degree with a smaller price tag attached to it. These college degrees that we need to apply for financial assistance to pay them off after we get them are not helping our state."
Concerning the substance abuse crisis, she says, "We need to limit the times an addict can use Narcan. I have been told that drug addicts are overdosing on purpose because they get another kind of high when being revived. The methadone and Suboxone clinics are not helping either, if a six-month drug user is attending a clinic for years and not being drug free."
Robinson says she supports Governor LePage's action to close the Downeast Correctional Facility, if it was not cost efficient. "I have not seen all the numbers, but if it was costing more to keep it open than it was doing any good, I feel our money could be better spent looking to the future and creating better jobs and promoting small business owners."

HOUSE DISTRICT 139
In House District 139, the incumbent, Republican Rep. Will Tuell of East Machias, is facing Democratic candidate Lisa Hanscom of Roque Bluffs.

Lisa Hanscom
Lisa Hanscom describes herself as a single mother and owner of a blueberry business that has been in the family for 106 years. She served as a Roque Bluffs selectman for 18 years and a member of the Washington County Budget Committee for at least 15 years.
She feels that the lack of broadband and Internet service in rural Maine is a huge problem. "These are building blocks, but my daughter couldn't get online for her homework. The schools don't understand that we have slow Internet in Washington County, and the students can't do research," points out Hanscom. "People who move to Washington County can't do their work because they are computer-oriented jobs."
In regard to handling the substance abuse crisis in this part of the state, Hanscom believes, just like smoking and drinking, "the trick is to educate young children as to the dangers of opioid use. I would propose that we educate people early. I haven't seen any of that here in Washington County."
She sees the drug court for adults in Calais and Machias as a success. "Once they are in the system, they start learning basic life skills and building on others. A lot of these kids see their parents on drugs and don't see a drug-free lifestyle in their future." She stresses, "We need to stop that before it happens."
Hanscom did not support the governor's actions to close the Downeast Correctional Facility. "That was done really underhanded. Now I worry about the how they started selling things off, but we might go bigger and better for a correctional facility in Washington County. I am open for any proposals."
She is worried about the future of blueberry growers, all types of farmers and lobster fishermen in Washington County. "Most are small businesses, and there is not a lot of economic support coming in. This is part of our heritage, and I don't want to see it disappear. That is part of the reason of why tourists come to Maine."

Will Tuell
Republican incumbent Will Tuell of East Machias is seeking to retain his House seat, although he calls his time in state government with Paul LePage as governor "a long four years. I think we have unfinished business."
"My bill to reopen the Downeast Correctional Facility would have been my biggest accomplishment, if it had passed," he stresses. "This had been a very important part of the correctional system and we don't have bed space. We are cramming prisoners into corners. I'm looking forward to working with the new governor to know that there is more that can be done about the [DCF] and turn this around."
Tuell says there has to be more effort to assist the educational systems in Washington County. "I will certainly be looking real hard into putting more money into it. Bonds 4 and 5 are very important. It's very important, especially for those in specialized fields, that jobs have workers to fill them." He adds, "I was honored to get an endorsement from the Maine teachers' union."
He is also pushing for broadband and high-speed Internet for the rural areas of the state. Tuell will see if the new government will agree with him.
"Our fishermen want protection for their traps in the Grey Zone between Maine and New Brunswick. There is a big problem because our fishermen are playing by a different set of rules. It is just common sense to protect those jobs, but there was a change of heart, and my bill wasn't supported."
Concerning the opioid crisis, Tuell has worked with retiring Senator Joyce Maker of Calais, through groups such as Healthy Acadia, into developing resources that will connect healthcare providers to patients. "There's a lot of work and awareness into what the options are out there, and will the new administration help out? The Washington County delegation supports any assistance in assisting with opioid abuse."
Tuell says revenue sharing has been underfunded since 2011. "The budget is in a bad place, but we should make a better effort to help people with their taxes."

HOUSE DISTRICT 140
For House District 140, Republican candidate Arthur Carter of Charlotte is running against Democratic incumbent Anne Perry of Calais.

Arthur Carter
Arthur Carter is retired from the U.S. Army after serving in Korea and Vietnam. He returned to Washington County in 1998 where he has since founded historical societies, served as an officer on the Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry in Calais for 20 years, was on the fire department and ambulance service as well as a hospice volunteer.
"We need a new approach to everything," he says of Washington County's economic future. "We have 32,000 residents, and there is only a certain amount of work you can do in tourism which is seasonal, but we can use available raw products, finish them up and ship them out."
Carter says that solving the problem of substance abuse in Washington County "starts with the families. I support the expansion of the sheriff's department for new personnel, and we need a program that [educates] people before they become addicted."
"I am totally disappointed in the governor's actions," he says of the closure of the Downeast Correctional Facility. "It was a model that was working. Now we have to work on state levels all the way on down to get this model reinstated in Washington County."
Carter points out that he has discovered that the three most important issues for Washington County residents are available healthcare, long-term assisted living and the high tax rate, and he wants to help with all of them.

Anne Perry
Anne Perry of Calais describes herself as someone with many years of serving the community. The nurse practitioner points out that one thing that Washington County has as an educational advantage is that "the University of Maine at Machias and the Washington County Community College in Calais work very well together. They are a vital part of our economy" by helping to train workers for needed jobs, such as at the St. Croix Tissue mill.
A member of the legislature's Health and Human Services Committee and active in the Neighbors Against Drug Abuse (NADA) program, she stresses that people who are affected by substance abuse need treatment. "We have lost some of our youth who could have been productive. An addict on the street is a big problem."
The decision by Governor Paul LePage to close the Downeast Correctional Facility "frustrates me," stresses Perry. "That facility had a work program to get them back into the workforce."
"Medicaid expansion is necessary in rural Maine," she stresses. "Hospitals are struggling to stay alive, and we need to look at the whole picture. We need our people trained in the healthcare services."
"The property tax is going to continue to be a problem for residents of Maine. Revenue sharing was cut in half, and the only option for towns is to raise property tax."

HOUSE DISTRICT 141
In House District 141, Democratic candidate Donald Green of Berry Township is running against Republican Kathy Javner of Chester to replace Beth Turner of Burlington.

Donald Green
Don Green is a U.S. Navy veteran and is currently a part-time minister in Lubec and the bereavement coordinator for Down East Hospice Volunteers. Concerning economic development, he states, "Investment is needed from local banks, development agencies or government grants to local individuals or small groups, who are the true entrepreneurs. These people know what works for the economy in their area."
He suggests that one way in which the University of Maine system can encourage young Mainers to get their education in the state is by keeping the tuition fees low for residents, followed by a loan forgiveness program after the student takes a job in Maine. "This is another way to keep our investment in state and working for the local economy."
As for the opioid crisis, he notes that the state is looking at the model that Massachusetts is using called the "hub and spoke" treatment and access model. "This provides a way to get those who wish to have treatment onto a viable program which can assist them to turn the corner from active addiction to actively changing their life outcomes." He also suggests "educating those most vulnerable to the very real dangers of addictive drugs and to instill in them the desire that education is a lifelong process."
The closing of the Downeast Correctional Facility "was a travesty of justice," and he understands that it could be "reopened with less effort than building new. I know from attending meetings with former employees they would more than welcome the opportunity to go back to work there." He would be "very supportive in working with the governor‑elect to reopen this facility as soon as practicable and to establish ongoing budgetary funds to keep it a part of Downeast Maine and Washington County."
Green favors state Medicaid expansion and bolstering the ability of elderly Mainers to age in place. "We should be working to get and keep facilities which will serve the local population with the care needed for cancer treatment, kidney dialysis and other geriatric specialties."

Kathy Javner
Republican Kathy Javner calls herself a "newbie" who is running for public office in District 141 because she "wants to be the voice" of the people in the district and will defer to them for information to take to Augusta.
Concerning economic development, Javner says that she has no specific proposals but is "addicted to learning" and wants to hear what her constituents need so she can voice their concerns. For example, she said that she is not personally familiar with the fishing industry but will defer to the fishermen, "take that information to Augusta and work with the rest of the Washington delegation."
"Education is a huge part of who I am," Javner says, adding that she is a proponent for technical schools, feeling that in the past parents taught basic skills, and with the breakdown of the family parents are not teaching such things as "qualities of character." She wants to work closely with these schools and help make them better.
Concerning the opioid crisis, she has no specific policies but says that the "faith community should work together." Her campaign is based on "you are valuable to me," which means teaching young people about positive self‑esteem and that they have options and opportunities. She cites Teen Challenge, a men's program in Windham, as being very successful, and she would seek to "invest in these programs, not reinvent the wheel, but look at what works and change what does not."
As for the Downeast Correctional Facility closure, Javner says "the way the governor went about it was wrong -- not the right thing to do." She adds, "We need to see what can really be done and continue to move forward -- get things going in a positive direction."
Javner states that education and economic development are important and she wants to hear from her constituents, as this "will be a learning curve." She says she is a student of American history and understands there is a lot of responsibility in being a representative.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Republican Matthew Foster of Hancock, the district attorney for Hancock and Washington counties, is being challenged by independent Steven Juskewitch of Dedham.

Matthew Foster
Matthew Foster has served as district attorney for four years, having been elected in 2014. Previously he had served 15 years as an attorney in Maine.
He states, "The top priority for me will be to continue to prosecute drug traffickers, domestic abusers and sexual predators to the fullest extent of the law and continue to advocate for additional law enforcement and treatment resources to be allocated to District 7. The district attorney's office is only as good as the cases submitted to it for prosecution. To have effective prosecutions, we need effective law enforcement resources. Budget cuts and fiscal policies that reduce the number of officers or cut the time they are able to be on duty are devastating to the justice system." He notes that without adequate law enforcement resources it is nearly impossible for the prosecution to do its job effectively. "I will continue to advocate for additional law enforcement resources and continue to support law enforcement by providing additional trainings and promoting cooperation among all stakeholders in the judicial system."
Foster says the DA's office can help address the opioid crisis "by continuing to aggressively prosecute the out‑of‑state drug traffickers bringing the drugs into our communities. However, where there is a demand, there will always be a supply, so I will also advocate for new and expanded treatment options and continue to support the Adult Drug Treatment Court." Foster is a member of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency Advisory Board and the Adult Drug Treatment Court Steering Committee. He adds, "I have also been going to schools and speaking to our children about drugs and other issues, and I think that the job really starts with our youth. If we can change the way our children think about drugs and encourage them to make healthy life choices, we can change the direction of this crisis. I will continue to strongly advocate for community involvement and solutions."
Foster says that the people of Hancock and Washington counties "cannot afford to press the reset button with yet another new DA and lose all of the excellent progress that has been accomplished over the past four years."

Steven Juskewitch
Steven Juskewitch is a criminal defense attorney who has previously run for the District 7 district attorney position and was deputy district attorney. He served for 28 years in the U.S. Army.
Juskewitch says the three top issues facing the next district attorney in Hancock and Washington counties all fit within the old Maine saying "that bucket don't carry water." Those issues are: a substantially less than 50% current trial conviction rate; absence of a dedicated drug prosecution from the attorney general's office; and "totally unacceptable" resolution of serious cases by dismissals or agreed de minimis sentences. "My experience, maturity and leadership will either patch or replace the bucket."
"Opioid abuse is a heath crisis; drug dealing is a war!" he states. He says the number of victims in Washington and Hancock counties can be reduced "if we: coordinate police investigations and training programs with prosecution programs; fully integrate drug courts with all resources available to families; focus on early intervention with family support and counseling services; use drug rehabilitation programs which recognize and treat mental, emotional and addiction issues; and deter crime with timely consequences and firm sentences which recognize the injuries caused to crime victims. Victims matter!"

COUNTY COMMISSIONER
Republican incumbent John Crowley of Addison is being challenged for the county commissioner District 3 seat by Michael Hinerman of Machiasport.

John Crowley
John Crowley has served as county commissioner for 20 years. He was the sheriff of Washington County for eight years, a patrol deputy, and the Jonesport chief of police two times for a total of about four years.
The top issue facing the county, Crowley believes, is the substance use issue. "It's a huge, huge problem." Resolving it will take many different approaches. He supports the sheriff's proposal to increase the department with three deputies, "but that's just one facet. You can't arrest your way out of it." The county needs to work on counseling, education in schools, drug programs in schools, especially at the high school level and more, using a cross‑collaborative approach between education officials and the sheriff's department. He points to the DARE program as an example of what he means. He would support such programs if brought forward by the sheriff's department.
Crowley is not sure that the budget can be balanced in such a way as to have less of an impact on municipal taxes. "Services cost money." He notes that the cost of training law enforcement has increased with the level of complexity such training now requires. As someone who grew up in Washington County, he is well aware of the difficulty many have in meeting their property tax bills.
The sheriff's department "could apply for as many grants as possible" to keep the budget expenses down.
An additional issue he says needs addressing is the estimated $1 million price tag attached to structural repairs needed at the sheriff's building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Many years ago the building's structural integrity was compromised when large oil tanks were placed in its basement. The funds would have go to a bond issue, he explains. "But we'll be looking at all aspects for grants to help."

Michael Hinerman
Michael F. Hinerman is a Washington County native and spent 25 years as an insurance adjuster, 12 years as the county's emergency management director, and 34 years with the Machiasport Fire Department, with 17 years as the fire chief. He has served on numerous boards and committees and has attended county commission meetings for the past 12 years.
The top issues facing the county are "the drug issue" and the county's budget. Everyone is affected by the drug crisis, he says, one way or the other, and it needs to be addressed through treatment, enforcement and recognizing that the solutions will not be easy or cheap.
Hinerman supports "in principle" the sheriff's department's proposal to add more deputies to help address the substance use crisis. "I support it wholeheartedly but would need to see how the three additional deputies are used."
Balancing the county's budget while taking care not to increase the tax burden on municipalities can be met in two ways, Hinerman explains. Cutting the budget, or the expense side, is not really an option any more. "It's getting down to bone." However, looking at new ways to find revenue through grants and cost‑sharing with others would be an approach he is familiar with through his work with the emergency management and fire department positions. Increasing revenue is the other way of decreasing taxes, he stresses.
No other issue is as important, he feels, than the drug issue. "It's first and foremost." The county and the county's communities need to work together, otherwise "it just moves back and forth from town to town." The county, the state and the federal government all have roles to play in combining resources and to share the costs and the benefits of those costs. "Police and emergency departments do this all the time," he notes, with mutual aid agreements just one example. "Town lines don't mean anything" when it comes to communities working together to solve a crisis.

OTHER COUNTY POSITIONS
Uncontested positions on the ballot include Washington County Sheriff Barry Curtis of Cherryfield; Register of Deeds Sharon Strout of Machiasport; Washington County Treasurer Jill Holmes of Jonesport; Register of Probate Carlene Holmes of Machias; and Judge of Probate Lyman Holmes of Machias.