Elijah Breton

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office sought: Representative – District 65
Age: 22
Occupation: Recent graduate
Education: Bachelor of Arts from Ithaca College
Hometown: Poland
Family: Single, no children

Political experience:

I have never held office before, which only adds to my point that we need fresh perspectives in Augusta.

Why are you running for office?

I am running for office because we need younger, fresher perspectives in Augusta. I am running because the status quo needs to go. I, like many of you have grown tired of the establishment politics. Augusta needs representatives who won’t toe the party line/ We need more independent minded thinkers like myself to create tangible solutions. I want to be part of Maine’s future moving forward. I want to solve the issues that are currently facing the state right now. Our district has not been properly represented and our voices have been left behind in Augusta. That needs to change. I am the only candidate who has not sold out to special interests. I am running for office because we need people like myself who will listen to the people, rather than large corporations. I am running because I am passionate about helping others and standing up for the right things. It is time to start getting some productivity out of Augusta.

Correction: This page was updated on Oct. 30 to correct Mr. Breton’s family information. He is not married and has no children.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • Other.
    I think we need to look outside of the box with this issue. I completely understand where Governor LePage is going with eliminating the income tax. However, I think an alternative solution would be to look at the income tax brackets and increase the threshold of the highest tax bracket, which is an income of $40,000. If we increased that number, we could then create a tax break for the middle class, while also continuing to support our municipalities through revenue sharing. It is important to look at some of the issues and try to create different solutions to move forward with. This is something that is not done well currently in Augusta.
• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • No.
    I believe that out of state money and agendas should have no major influence on legislation in Maine. Therefore, I think it is wrong that Michael Bloomberg will have spent millions to try to push this initiative through. This is not truly a Maine citizen initiative and my fear is that someone else’s agenda is trying to monopolize into our state. I don’t want a negative precedent to be set with out of state money like this.
• Minimum Wage: In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  • No.
    By increasing the minimum wage, I believe that this will cripple small businesses. One of the biggest parts of my platform is that I want to make it easier for small businesses in Maine to thrive. I believe small businesses should be the backbone of out state’s economy. By increasing the minimum wage, we would be forcing some businesses to make hard decisions and potentially to eliminate some of their hard working employees from their payroll. If we invest in small businesses, I think that is how we can create additional better paying jobs that would give back more organically to the state’s economy.
• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • Other.
    I will be voting no on this referendum question because I am concerned over how regulated recreational use of marijuana would be. However, I am not against legalization and I would be willing to have an open dialogue regarding regulation surrounding this topic. I am willing to have an open mind to create a solution that works well for all Maine citizens in this case.
• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • No, I do not believe the state is doing enough in response to the opiate addiction and overdoses in our state. While the financial support passed in the previous legislative session was a step in the right direction, we cannot and should not stop there. This is a serious issue in Maine and we need to act swiftly, yet responsibly. I think the major piece that needs to solving this issue would be through our law enforcement agencies. They do not get enough resources and are working often times understaffed. This needs to change. If we can offer them the support and resources they need to be successful, I think we can start to see some great results in return.

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