LEWISTON – Democratic state Rep. Elaine Makas has announced her candidacy for re-election to the Maine House of Representatives.

She said she wants “to continue to work on behalf of my neighbors, the citizens of House District 71 in Lewiston.”

Makas, who serves on the Joint Standing Committee for Natural Resources, said, “One of my highest priorities has been, and continues to be, the revitalization of the Androscoggin River. This river is the lifeblood of our community. It reflects our pride in Lewiston, and its protection is essential to our continued economic growth.” She also is the House chair of the Task Force on Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children, and is a legislative appointee to the Maine-Canada Advisory Commission.

Makas received a bachelor of arts degree from Bates College, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in social psychology from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She teaches psychology, including general psychology and the social psychology of war and terrorism, for the University of Southern Maine at Lewiston-Auburn College. She also serves on the Lewiston Zoning Appeals Board and the boards of directors of Androscoggin Head Start and The Public Theatre. She’s a member of the Maine Audubon Society and a founding member of both the Society for Disability Studies and the International Society of Political Psychologists.

Makas has been endorsed by the Maine Education Association, the Maine State Employees Association, the Maine AFL-CIO, the Maine League of Conservation Voters and Dirigo Alliance.