Democrat David Durrell is attempting to unseat incumbent Don Marean in House District 16, which includes Hollis, the southern end of Buxton and a small section of Saco.

Marean, a Republican with a decade of State House experience, has served on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, Joint Select Committee on Joint Rules and was the ranking minority member on the Joint Select Committee on Marijuana Legalization Implementation. Marean is traditionally funding his campaign and raised $17,768.

Durrell is a small-business owner who describes himself as a fiscal conservative and a social-to-moderate liberal. Durrell is a publicly financed Maine Clean Elections candidate and has raised $9,599.

Marean said he would like to focus on continuing to strengthen and fine-tune medical marijuana and adult-use marijuana laws, lowering the cost of electricity and providing wider broadband access across the state. Marean said he would also like to find ways to lower taxes while providing a better education for students, he said.

Marean said he supports Bonny Eagle’s push for proficiency-based diplomas, but would like to see more vocational offerings offered in local schools

Marean said the Legislature put some measures in place to address opioid use, treatment and enforcement, but more is needed, including in the area of treatment. “I don’t think we have all the resources we need,” he said.

Durrell said that, in addition to small-business development and transportation, education is an issue he would like to focus on in the Legislature. Education is not getting funded to the extent it should be, he said.

In an effort to help keep youths in the state, Durrell said he would like to explore an incentive program for them to stay in Maine for college and find ways to expand vocational programming and opportunities to help find the next generation of skilled workers and tradesmen.

Durrell said the state hasn’t done enough in terms of opioid addiction treatment and education. “I don’t see enough resources to community programs or programs in school about how dangerous the drugs are,” he said.

Both candidates said they favor Medicaid expansion as approved by voters. Durrell said it should be done immediately. Marean said the only “holdup” is how to fund it.

Michael Kelley can be contacted at 781-3661, ext. 125, or at:

mkelley@keepmecurrent.com

Twitter: mkelleynews

Read this story in the American Journal.

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