NEW GLOUCESTER — The woman who holds the title of Mrs. Maine International is one of the two Democrats competing in a Tuesday primary to pick the party’s candidate in the 65th state House district.
Misty Coolidge said Friday that she would “love to wear my crown to the State House.”
Coolidge and Robert Maheu, both of New Gloucester, are angling for the opportunity to challenge Republican Amy Arata in the Nov. 6 general election to fill an open seat that includes their town and a part of Poland.
The seat has been held by Republican Ellie Espling, the assistant House minority leader. Espling is running for an open state Senate seat.
Maheu, who could not be reached, has apparently suspended his campaign. At the end of May, he had raised $179 and his campaign was $61 in debt. Coolidge, a Clean Election candidate, has received $2,517 and spent the bulk of it on signs and a mailing.
Coolidge said she is eager to take a crack at politics.
“It’s in my blood,” she said.
Coolidge hails from the same family as former President Calvin Coolidge and plans to wear a ribbon from his 1924 presidential race on Tuesday.
“I just really hope to make some changes” in Augusta “and be the voice of my neighbors,” Coolidge said.
On her campaign’s Facebook page, she hailed a recent court ruling that requires Maine to implement Medicaid expansion and called for universal health care.
“Why, oh why, is our country so advanced in so many ways and yet we’re so behind on what matters most. . . . our health!” she wrote.
She was named Mrs. Maine International at a pageant this spring. She competes in the international pageant in West Virginia next month.
In the competition, she cites her longtime commitment to helping combat hunger and food insecurity in Maine. She said she lends a hand to the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn.
Coolidge, 42, operates two businesses — the Coolidge Family Farm, a wedding barn in New Gloucester, and Maine Mixologist, which offers bartending services to weddings.
Married to Peter deBear, Coolidge has three children. She is a graduate of Husson University.
In addition to the Democratic House primary, voters in New Gloucester also face statewide primaries in the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial races and a statewide vote on whether to retain ranked choice voting in Maine.
Misty Coolidge of New Gloucester, crowned Mrs. Maine this spring, is running for a Maine House seat as a Democrat. (Photo provided)
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