In House District 38, the two-term Democrat incumbent, Rep. Matt Moonen, faces Republican challenger Thomas Loring.

Moonen is a member of three committees: taxation, judiciary and joint rules.

Moonen, executive director of EqualityMaine, has worked on marriage equity campaigns and with Maine Citizens for Clean Elections.

He is a publicly funded candidate under Maine’s Clean Election Act, which limits private contributions and provides House candidates with $5,000 to $15,000 in public funds based on their ability to demonstrate local support by collecting $5 checks from in-district voters.

“I’m running again to continue my work representing the people of Portland and our progressive values, and to fight for a more fair and equitable state for all Mainers,” he said in a survey. He noted that he does not support the governor’s efforts to lower the state income tax and eventually eliminate it.

Moonen has also volunteered on campaigns to protect same-day voter registration rights.

On the ballot measures, he supports background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine, increasing the minimum wage and legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

On how to tackle addiction and overdose issues, Moonen said he supports a combination of law enforcement and treatment.

Loring said he was not available to comment or fill out an online survey sent to all candidates.

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CORRECTION: This story was updated at 1:36 p.m. on Oct. 25, 2016, to correct the amount of public funding available to House candidates.

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