Democratic Rep. Ralph Tucker is seeking a third term representing part of Brunswick in House District 50 and is being challenged by Republican Michael Lawler.

The district covers most of eastern Brunswick, including Cook’s Corner and Brunswick Landing.

Several attempts to reach Lawler by phone and email were unsuccessful. Lawler has not raised any money to finance a campaign, according to the Maine Ethics Commission.

Tucker is a publicly financed candidate under the Maine Clean Election Act and has raised $14,225, according to the latest report posted by the ethics commission.

Tucker, 71, is a former town councilor, chairman of the Brunswick School Board and a retired district court judge. He was elected to the Legislature in 2014 and has served as House chairman of the Joint Committee on Environmental and Natural Resources.

His reason for running again, he said, is two-fold: his concern about the “growing gap” between who he called “ordinary people” and the very wealthy, and the fate of the environment.

Tucker said elementary school teachers should be teaching about ecology and the environment, and environmental protections should be increased.

Tucker also believes implementing universal health care will make people “healthier, stronger (and) more creative,” and will free up the money being spent on insurance premiums that are “going through the roof.” The state should expand Medicaid to help provide treatment to fight the opioid addiction epidemic, he says.

In addition to voting for Medicaid expansion during his earlier terms, Tucker has also voted for a 3 percent education surtax.

“The current state administration has slashed taxes dramatically and then claims that we don’t have enough money to do things for the opiate crisis, for education, for health care, for the environment,” Tucker said.

Elizabeth Clemente can be contacted at 781-9324 or at:

eclemente@theforecaster.net

Twitter: epclemente