A former Peaks Island council member is facing off against the local Republican Party chairman for the open House District 39 seat left vacant by Diane Russell, who lost a hotly contested Democratic primary for an open Maine Senate seat in June.

Republican Peter Doyle, who has run for state office three times, faces Democrat Mike Sylvester, a former Peaks Island council member and owner of Mike’s Carts on Peaks Island.

Sylvester, who said he has 20 years of experience organizing workers in labor unions, said he is driven by the belief that the government should serve the people.

“I live in a district with some of the wealthiest and some of the poorest people in Maine,” he said. “After 20 years advocating for workers, negotiating with some of the biggest companies in the world, I want to find solutions to problems that are being ignored.”

Sylvester is a publicly funded candidate under Maine’s Clean Election Act, which limits private contributions and provides $5,000 to $30,000 in matching funds to candidates for the House.

He said he supports the initiatives to raise the minimum wage, legalize marijuana for recreational use and background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine.

Sylvester said he doesn’t think the state is doing enough to respond to the spike in overdoses and address addiction.

“Treatment is the answer. I want to see more public health clinics like India Street, not less,” he said.

Doyle, who is traditionally financing his run, said he’s running to “make some measurable improvements” in making government work for specific communities. He is chairman of the Portland Republican City Committee.

“For example, I’d like to see what kind of reforms I could work towards to allow older folks to be able to stay in their homes and connect them with the necessary government services to support that decision,” he said. “I’d also like to apply thoughtful, intelligent, and creative (rather than knee-jerk and impractical) solutions to the problems we face. I think my analytical and sensible approach will help move that ball forward.”

Doyle said he did not support the ballot initiatives for legalizing marijuana use, raising the minimum wage or having background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine. He said he could support some form of background checks, however.

“If it could be done in a way that doesn’t criminalize the ordinary transfers between otherwise law-abiding gun owners (e.g., while lending a firearm while going hunting or moving the contents of their homes), I’d be open to it,” he said.

He said the Maine Legislature has taken some positive measures on treating addiction, such as adding law enforcement and increasing beds in treatment centers.

“This is a really tough issue not only in Maine but in other states that have been grappling with this tragedy,” Doyle said. “I think we need to continue to move in that direction and take our cues from our own and other states’ successes. In short, find out what works and do more of it.”

 

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