LEWISTON — Ward 2 City Council candidate Tim Lajoie said he’s running to give to the city’s middle-class residents.

“Ward 2 needs someone who will advocate for hardworking middle-class families,” Lajoie said. “I will fight against policies that are forcing them to choose between conflicting priorities. They should not have to choose between surrendering their hard-earned money to fund failed social programs, or investing in what is most important to them — their own families.”

Lajoie is a lifelong Lewiston resident and a 1985 graduate of Lewiston High School. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard and has worked for the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department for the past 12 years.

Lajoie has a master’s degree in management and leadership studies, a master’s degree in theological studies and a certificate of graduate study in criminal justice.

He is a member of the Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society for Business, Management and Administration, member of the Maine Law Enforcement Chaplain Corps and is an adjunct instructor of arts and sciences at Thomas College in Waterville.

“Lewiston is at a crossroads,” Lajoie said. “This is a critical election for our city. Will we return to the strong blue-collar values that our parents and grandparents taught us and made our city proud, or will we continue to invest in the same failed policies that have stifled this city? The question really is that simple.”

staylor@sunjournal.com