Party affiliation:

Republican

Social media accounts:
facebook.com/SenRickBennett/

Occupation:
Business

Education:
Harvard College, BA (1986); USM School of Business, MBA (2000)

Community Organizations:
Member, First Congregational Church of South Paris (2017-present); moderator (2020-present) and assistant moderator (2019-2020); corporator, Norway Savings Bank (1992-present); member, Board of Trustees, Hebron Academy (2010-2019)

Personal information (hobbies, etc.):
Trail running, hiking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, reading, writing

Family status:
Married with two adult children

Years in the Legislature:

14

Committee assignments (if elected):
Environment and Natural Resources Committee, Government Oversight Committee

Q&A

Define what “success” would look like if you are elected to serve your district.
It’s time to think anew and act anew. The level of partisan polarization is unacceptably high, causing ordinary people to distance themselves from civic engagement at just the time we need collaboration and unity to tackle immense challenges like inflation, environmental degradation, investment in infrastructure from highways to broadband.

I am proud to have been found to be the most bipartisan legislator by one independent assessment.

I will work with all people of any party to take control of our electric grid from foreign interests, reform campaign finance, continue our fight against PFAS contamination, fix our broken child welfare system, among other priorities.

I will continue the effort to build a recreational trail on the Mountain Division line through western Maine.

Characterize your view on public access to governmental business.
We must reform our FOAA laws, improve lobbying disclosures, increase transparency into dark money, and protect Maine elections by keeping foreign governments out of our referendum campaigns (which is now legal!).