State politics here in Maine have suffered from a lack of civility we should expect from our chief executive. Gov. Mills’ natural propensity is taking swings at those she disagrees with in a prosecutorial manner, reflective of her profession. For many, it has been a long seven years of enduring one charge after another against political opponents, something akin to a drawn-out trial conducted by a law firm with unlimited resources. It has often felt unfair, unprofessional and inconsistent with the civility that good government demands.

Instead, Maine is looking ahead to a new administration in the new year, one that brings people together rather than polarizes, seeks common ground rather than banishment and restores reason in place of dysfunction. That leader would not succeed through braggadocio or by making a spectacle of themselves, as we saw at the State House. Rather, they would speak to Maine’s traditional base, Republican, independent or Democrat, by appealing to the shared spirit of Maine people, regardless of party affiliation.

That person is Rick Bennett. Rick knows his constituents in Western Maine and understands his fellow public servants in Augusta, as well as citizens across the state, through more than 30 years of service. He understands civil discourse to a “T.” He is known and trusted across political lines and would meet Maine’s need for civility in the Blaine House, the State House and beyond.

Curtis Cole
Norway