There is nothing that Maine people respect more than hard work and honesty. People may disagree with you, but if you give your best effort and are upfront about your position, most people are happy to agree to disagree. The people of Androscoggin County were fortunate to be represented by just such a straight shooter in the person of John Nutting, who has served in the House and Senate for 12 years.

I won’t tell you that when we served together John and I always agreed. But we worked through our disagreements. Sometimes I won and sometimes he won. I never doubted that we both had the best interests of all Maine people at heart.

His stand on a recent worker’s compensation bill has aroused some criticism, but I’ll tell you this, his AFL-CIO voting record has been as high as 90 percent, and I believe we can trust him to effectively represent the working men and women of Maine. The injured workers’ advocate program that he sponsored has provided free legal advice to thousands of Mainers, and has earned strong and long-term bipartisan support.

Nutting has been a leader on other important issues. He was instrumental in crafting legislation that dramatically improved the quality of the Androscoggin River. He is also an expert on the school funding formula.

The dedication and honesty that Nutting brought to Augusta were appreciated. The people he represented were well served by his efforts and should be proud of his work.

Patrick Colwell, speaker of the Maine State House

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