Kathy Wilson Courtesy of the town of Brunswick
BRUNSWICK — Brunswick resident Kathy Wilson, a Democrat, announced Friday she is running for the Maine House of Representatives District 49 seat.
Rep. Mattie Daughtry has held that seat for the past eight years, but Daughtry announced earlier this month that she plans to run for the Maine Senate District 24 seat, which is currently held by Everett “Brownie” Carson, who is retiring.
Wilson, who has lived in Brunswick her entire life, is a professional dog groomer and has served as an at-large Brunswick town councilor for six years. So far, Wilson is the only candidate to announce plans to run for the seat.
“The truth of the matter is, I’ve wanted to do this for 40 years or more,” Wilson said in a phone interview Friday. “I wanted to do it, but it was never the right time.”
Now, Wilson is semi-retired with the ability to arrange her own schedule. Her council term set to expire at the end of the year, and Daughtry is not running for re-election.
“The timing just ended up right, so I said, ‘Do it.’”
Wilson said she is supportive of Gov. Janet Mills’ administration and where the state is going, but that she wants to do her part for her hometown.
She hopes to help secure more school funding, an effort she hopes would not only help the students, but also the rest of the taxpayers, as the school budget accounts for 60% of municipal taxes.
Wilson has long been an advocate for seniors and those on a fixed income. In the spring, she voted against the town budget, which she said would cause “sticker shock” for the town’s older residents.
“I very much believe in the schools and the education of the kids,” she said Friday. “Our life is going to be in their hands one day, but at the same time we can’t toss out the old people, because they got us here.”
Wilson is also interested in climate-related issues, animal welfare and equal rights for everyone, no matter orientation, race, sex, age, nationality or ability, she said.
“I will be very much focused on keeping things as fair as they possibly can be,” she added.
There’s a lot she still doesn’t know much about, she admitted, but she said she will learn what she can and “advocate for what I believe is best for Brunswick and for Maine. … My heart is in the right place. I love Brunswick and I love the state of Maine. I want to be here.”
Wilson also said she is not ever locked into one position just because she took it. She is willing to listen to people, she said, and will make decisions as she gathers information.
“Somehow we need to figure it out and work together,” she said.
Wilson said she will base her decision on whether to run for town council upon the outcome of the election. If she is elected to the Maine House of Representatives, she will not run for council.
If everything works out, “I go to Augusta with a level head, willing to work with anybody, do my best and try to get every dime I can for Brunswick,” she said. “This is my district.”
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