Party affiliation: Democrat

Date of birth: March 14, 1959

Hometown: Casco

Occupation:

Education: Van Buren public schools; University of Presque Isle; bachelor’s in business administration, University of Southern Maine

Community organizations: Member, Maine Mortgage Brokers Association; volunteer, Big Brothers Big Sisters; volunteer, Maine Special Olympics; former member, Waynflete School Parent Association; former member, Portland Board of Realtors; coach, American Athletic Association.

Personal information (hobbies, etc.): Boating, fishing, golfing, reading

Family status: Single; two children

Years in the Legislature: None

Clean Election candidate?: Yes

1. I want to put my strong work ethic, commitment and energy to work in Augusta, bringing the hopes and dreams of a better quality of life to all Mainers. Growing up in Maine has given me a unique understanding of the needs of our people, and being able to effectively communicate and take action on those needs makes me better suited for the House seat than my opponent.

2. My top priorities are two issues of direct concern and impact to my district. The first is to secure funding for the replacement of the Causeway Naples Bridge. Second, I will submit legislation requiring the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to fund the Lakes Region Environmental Association to eradicate milfoil in our lakes, rivers and streams.

3. I am opposed to TABOR. I am not convinced it will work in Maine and that is a gamble we shouldn’t take. I believe TABOR would create major disruptions within our economy that will result in loss of jobs, reductions in educational funding and disruption to municipal services. This is the wrong direction for Maine to take.

4. The 122nd session of the Legislature passed a civil rights law to protect Maine people from discrimination. We need to expand on that and teach that discrimination and hate is wrong. I believe it is the right of a woman to choose. I believe in strong enforcement against domestic abuse and hate crimes, and I oppose racial, ethnic and religious profiling.

5. I believe critics have been too harsh with Dirigo Health. The Dirigo Health Plan is delivering real savings to businesses and families. It is an option that has given hope to many and, with more fine tuning, it can expand to provide affordable coverage to more businesses and families.

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