I have spent over 35 years in the trenches of Maine politics, many of those for the Republican Party. I remain a fiscal conservative and a supporter of the Second Amendment.

By 2016, however, the GOP I knew had been replaced by a movement I no longer recognized. I took my “insider” knowledge and turned it toward helping Democrats win, because I believe Maine deserves leadership rooted in reality, not rhetoric.

My perspective isn’t just shaped by politics. It’s shaped by decades on the front lines as a firefighter, EMT and hospital tech. I know what it looks like when rural emergency services are at a breaking point.

That is why I am supporting Troy Jackson for governor.

Troy isn’t a boardroom politician; he’s a fifth-generation logger from Allagash who understands the grit required to live and work here. More importantly, he understands that first responders are owed a “debt of gratitude” and should not be treated as talking points.

From expanding retirement access for dispatchers to securing health equity for female firefighters, Troy’s record proves he has our backs. He has championed binding arbitration and critical rural emergency funding because he knows a state is only as safe as those we count on to run toward danger.

In a political climate filled with noise, Troy Jackson is a man of action who is one of us. He understands the front lines, and I hope everyone will join me in supporting Troy Jackson this June.

Jeffrey Stanley
Arrowsic