Party affiliation: Democrat

Date of birth: July 16, 1949

Hometown: Lewiston

Occupation: Director of special initiatives, Harward Center for Community Partnerships, Bates College

Education: Bachelor’s, Mt. Holyoke College

Community organizations: President, Lewiston Education Fund; past board member, Chamber of Commerce; CMCC Advisory Board; past chairman, Lewiston School Committee; past president, Maine School Boards Association.

Personal information (hobbies, etc.):

Family status: Married; two children

Years in the Legislature: Six

Clean Election candidate?: Yes

Committee assignments: Current chairman, Appropriations Committee; member and past chairman, State and Local Government Committee; chairman, Senatorial Vote. Served on the Joint Legislative Select Committee on Regionalization. Appointed chair of several state commissions.

Married, 32 years; 2 children, Nicholas and Ann

Years in Legislature: 6

Clean Election Candidate, yes

1. I will continue to work collaboratively to move Maine forward, to meet the needs of hard-working families of Lewiston, and to provide excellent service to my constituents. I have made tough choices to control spending and provide increased property tax relief while still protecting the elderly and disabled, increasing funding to our local schools and colleges, and strengthening local businesses by repealing the business equipment tax.

2. My top priority is to carefully balance the need for reductions in spending with the need to provide both for the most vulnerable in the state and for our state’s future by creating good paying jobs, greater property tax relief, and increased educational opportunity.

3. I strongly oppose TABOR. It takes away our capacity to care adequately for our seniors in nursing homes, our veterans, our public schools, our roads, our community colleges, and the university system. TABOR also takes away our ability to respond to crises. TABOR will move traditionally local decisions to the state, and that is wrong.

4. I believe most Maine citizens are focused on pocketbook issues in this election: jobs, property tax relief, educational opportunity, and access to affordable, quality health care. I do not support discrimination, and I do support allowing women to make their own decisions regarding their health without government interference.

5. With Dirigo, the Legislature has had the courage to try to control rising health care costs and expand coverage to the large number of hard-working Mainers who are uninsured or underinsured. Dirigo is not perfect, but it is a good beginning, and we can make it better.

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