Party affiliation: Democrat

Date of birth: November 15, 1971

Hometown: Lewiston

Occupation: John F. Murphy Homes working with adults with developmental disabilities

Education: Bachelor’s from University of Maine at Orono, political science

Community organizations: Member, Common Ties Mental Health Board of Directors; Androscogin County Democratic Committtee

Personal information (hobbies, etc.):

Family status: Single

Years in the Legislature: Four

Clean Election candidate?: Yes

Committee assignments: Health and Human Services; Substance Abuse Services Commission; chairman, Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of Mainecare (2005)

1. I am the best qualified candidate to continue the important work of maintaining and expanding health care, increasing educational opportunities and reforming our tax system. Experience will be important in the next Legislature; there is important work to be done by the next Legislature.

2. It is difficult to pick a top priority because so many issues face Maine and will face the next Legislature. However, health care has always been an important issue to me. We must continue to find ways to reduce costs of health care and prescription drugs. We must find more ways of increasing access, safety and quality.

3. TABOR will likely hold back future increases in taxes. It will cut spending and services. Education and health care are – by far – the biggest expenditures and will be the hardest hit by cuts. I remain undecided how my individual vote at the polls will be. I see the good of helping lower taxes, but I also worry about cuts that are sure to come.

4. The anti-discrimination bill was upheld by a fairly sizable majority of voters. I supported this bill. What we need is more education and support for women so that they don’t think abortion is the only solution. The issue of abortion is truly between a woman, her family and her doctor, not government.

5. There have been many disparaging remarks made about Dirigo, but if you look at the facts and ignore the rhetoric, you can see that Dirigo is a positive thing. It covers 15,000 people; it has lowered costs. Dirigo might not be covering as many as expected yet, but that doesn’t make it a failure by any means.