BRUNSWICK — In Maine Senate District 23, incumbent Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, is being challenged by Georgetown Selectman Rich Donaldson.
In pitching her reelection campaign, Vitelli says her focus will remain largely consistent with her past two years in the legislature.
“I have some clear ideas of what will help move Maine forward, and I have the experience and the passion to get in there and in a bipartisan fashion try to solve some of the problems and create opportunities for Maine people,” said Vitelli.
Richard Donaldson
Vitelli unknown
This wasn’t Vitelli’s first time representing District 23, which includes all of Sagadahoc County, as well as Dresden.
Vitelli first won her seat in then-Senate District 19 in a 2013 special election, following the resignation of Democrat Rep. Seth Goodall to serve with the Small Business Association.
In the regular election the following November, however, incumbent Vitelli was defeated by Republican Linda Baker in a three-way race. Baker won with just 45.3 percent of the vote, with Green Independent candidate Alice Knapp taking 11.4 percent.
Two years later, Vitelli was looking for a rematch with Baker. While Vitelli secured the Democratic nomination without opposition, Republican Guy Lebida defeated incumbent Baker in the Republican primary with a surprise endorsement from LePage.
But Lebida couldn’t do what Baker did in 2014 — defeat Vitelli. So in November 2016, Vitelli won her second election 52.9 percent to 47.1 percent. This year, Lebida is running for the House District 55 seat against Democrat Seth Berry.
Related: Political signs fall victim to contentious House District 55 race
Now, Vitelli wants to do what she hasn’t been able to yet — win a reelection campaign.
If she does win, Vitelli says her focus will be on healthcare concerns, as well as job training initiatives.
“I think the issues that are facing Midcoast Mainers are very close to what the issues are that are facing out state as a whole,” said Vitelli. “What I hear most from people I’m talking to is concern about health care.”
For Vitelli, the No. 1 thing the state needs to do to address health care concerns is enact a MaineCare expansion, as approved by voters in 2017.
“I’ve heard stories of people who’ve gone through bankruptcy because of their high medical bills. They’re concerned about the cost of care (and) the complexity of the issues surrounding our healthcare system,” said Vitelli. “That’s top of the list for something that we need to address for the people of this district and the state as a whole.”
Vitelli touted one bill she sponsored as a small step in the right direction on addressing healthcare. The legislature passed Vitelli’s bill earlier this year, and it went into law without the governor’s signature.
“I’m proud of the drug transparency bill that I worked on over two years,” said Vitelli. “That was a bill that I was very interested in, in getting something done about because it addresses an issue that is very important to many of my constituents and to people all over the state, and that’s the high cost of drugs.”
Other legislation Vitelli is looking at include a student loan bill of rights, bills that address the high cost of healthcare and facilitating workforce training, especially for the trades. Vitelli, who served as director of program and policy development at New Ventures Maine, an organization that offers tuition-free classes and helps prepare individuals for new careers and businesses, before being elected has some familiarity with workforce issues.
Vitelli is being challenged by Donaldson, who spent 30 years in the Navy, retiring as a lieutenant commander, before going into municipal politics.
“I joined the Navy in 1983,” Donaldson told The Times Record earlier this year. “I came to Brunswick in 1989 and moved to Georgetown.”
With Georgetown facing a shortage of people willing to serve on the town’s various boards, Donaldson joined the planning board, serving as chairman for a time. This summer, Donaldson was elected selectman unopposed at the annual town meeting. Now he has his eyes set on serving in the Maine Legislature.
In a previous interview with The Times Record, Donaldson said that his focus would be on common-sense regulatory reform and encouraging vocational training.
Donaldson declined to be interviewed for this story, citing The Times Record’s coverage of his past social media posts, which some have criticized as homophobic and racist.
Related: Georgetown Senate candidate under fire over social media posts
This summer, a number of Donaldson’s past Facebook posts from 2015 and 2016 emerged. Many of the posts contained jokes based on crude stereotypes of Mexican people, while one seemed to mock other military personnel by insinuating they are gay.
Donaldson claimed that it was simply the kind of humor he and his friends had in the Navy.
“I don’t want to say we have a warped sense of humor, but the mission that our armed forces do makes us a little more thick-skinned about things that a civilian might find insensitive,” said Donaldson. “It was never my intention to embarrass anyone or to upset anyone. Poke fun at someone? Absolutely. I mean, it’s what sailors and Marines do.”
Vitelli declined to discuss Donaldson’s social media posts when asked.
“I think they’re unfortunate,” was all she said on the matter.
The Maine Democratic Party, however, has purchased attack ads against Donaldson, referencing those posts. Vitelli said she had no involvement with the ads and hasn’t yet seen them.
“I’m focusing on my positive campaign,” said Vitelli. “I’m focusing on my message and what I’m hearing from people I meet in the district.”
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