To the Editor:

I am a Democrat and I support Fred Horch for state representative.

I’ve known Fred for 10 years, as a friend and as his employee at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, and he is a man of integrity, intelligence and kindness. He has fantastic ideas for growing our economy, ensuring access to health care, making public education thrive and preserving Maine’s natural resources, values nearly all Mainers share.

A former business owner and attorney, Fred understands the law well enough to be able to propose and critically evaluate legislation. And he has a vested interest in doing right by Brunswick: He and his wife Hadley bought an old house in Brunswick nine years ago and have been steadily improving it and paying taxes on it ever since. They have three children in our public schools.

Sometimes people worry about supporting an independent or third-party candidate for fear of wasting or splitting the vote. In this race, that is nearly impossible. Only about 20 percent of the registered voters in District 66 are Republicans, so you can vote for Fred with full confidence that you are not inadvertently electing someone whose values differ drastically from your own.

Fred nearly beat the incumbent Democrat in 2010 and, with no incumbent this time, could really win.

Finally, some have questioned whether an independent or third-party representative can be effective in Augusta without a huge political party machine dictating their every move.

I would argue that such a representative has significantly more power than a foot soldier of a major party.

Beholden to neither Republicans nor Democrats, Fred Horch, like Angus King, will be free to do the decidedly nonpartisan job of representing only his constituents’ interests, and both major parties will be courting his support.

Intelligence. Commitment. Nonpartisanship. Consensusbuilding. Isn’t this what we’re always saying we want in our politicians?

Hillary Shende
Brunswick