AUBURN – Attorney Adam Lee filed paperwork Monday to secure his spot as a Democratic candidate for a state House seat in the newly created 89th District that covers Auburn’s downtown.

Lee said in a press release that since moving to Auburn in 2008, he has “witnessed his community get shortchanged in Augusta.”

He also said it is time change the many “misperceptions about the region” and “the pervasive negative stereotypes about Lewiston/Auburn.”

Republican James Cyr is also running in the new district, created in the aftermath of the 2020 census to reflect changes in Maine’s demographics. Both men are not currently in the Legislature.

Lee said Monday that “as a legal advocate by profession and a community advocate by passion,” he has seen Auburn “lack effective advocacy and influence at the state level.”

“He considers being a strong voice for downtown Auburn in Augusta to be his biggest challenge and opportunity as a legislator,” his campaign release said.

“When you have an internal drive to do what you know is right to help others and stand up for a community that you care deeply about,” Lee said, “you do it.”

He said his campaign won’t be “framed by partisan talking points or symbolic political performances” and will be “grounded in the simple act and proven track record of service to others — as a civil litigation attorney, a member of Auburn’s City Council, a volunteer at Auburn’s PAL Center, a ‘big brother’ with Big Brothers Big Sisters, a debate coach at Edward Little High School and Boston College, a friend, and a husband.”

Dana Staples, an at-large Auburn city councilor, called Lee “a straightforward, honest, fair and hardworking public servant who builds bridges, listens to his neighbors and community members, and works to improve the lives of Mainers, particularly those of Auburn residents.”

A practicing litigation attorney at the Auburn law firm Trafton, Matzen, Belleau & Frenette, he currently serves as counsel for 11 Maine cities and 12 Maine counties litigating against the pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors responsible for the opioid epidemic, according to his release.

“As a two-term city councilor, Lee drafted and passed Auburn’s food sovereignty law and was instrumental in the negotiation and passage of several capital improvement plans, which included early support for the new Edward Little High School,” his release said.

He is a member of Auburn’s Regulatory Advisory Board and was nominated for and won Uplift L/A’s 40 under 40 award for Activism and Commitment as a Local Government & Civic Leader, the release said.

“Most comfortable in a t-shirt and baseball cap, Lee is down-to-earth, quick-witted, and smart. His only complaint about public service is the necessity of fundraising, which he approaches with humility and gratitude, never taking one word or one dollar of support for granted,” his release said.

To learn more about Lee, check out his campaign website at arlee4mehouse.com or his Facebook page: @AdamRLeeForAuburn.

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