On Nov. 8, Tammy Walter a Republican from Cape Elizabeth will go toe-to-toe against Democrat Christopher Kessler in the race for the House District 121 seat. House District 121 includes parts of Cape Elizabeth and South Portland.
Tammy Walter
Walter, 63, has one childe and is retired. She has a a degree in Criminal Justice.
If elected, Walter said in an email her main priority is the “opioid crisis.”
“Maine is at a crossroads right now,” she said. “We have survived the covid crisis through the infusion of billions of federal dollars, but that’s about to stop. We haven’t touched the opioid crisis, in fact, our policies have made it worse. Our focus on providing free clean needles and medication assisted treatment are critical components of a comprehensive approach to substance abuse disorder, but its only two legs of a three legged stool, and three legged stools are and ineffective and dangerous. Yes, we have to keep people alive, but we also have to help them get well.”
“Whether or not we have a loved one who suffers from addiction, we are all affected,” Walter said. “The devastating impacts are tentacles that run throughout the entire fabric of our society, driving up the need for all public services and medical care, impacting homelessness and public safety, and causing heartbreaking trauma to children.”
Walter related a personal story about her experience with someone who was negatively affected by drugs.
“Five years ago,” she said, “I found a loved one who had overdosed on fentanyl-laced heroin. By the grace of God and the rapid response of my local first responders, he survived. Had he been able to receive treatment immediately after, he might have been able to turn his life around. One of my priorities will be to ensure that detox and treatment is available during the sometimes very small open windows when people want help and are willing to accept it.”
The opioid crisi “is my number one priority., Walter said “Also my number two, three and four. Because until we address this problem, addressing all of our other issues; insufficient workforce, homelessness, crime, soaring medical costs and child neglect and abuse can only be tinkered with around the edges.”
She said there are two reasons she is the best person for the job. “First, I am not partisan,” Walter said. “I believe in principals and common-sense solutions, not party politics. If good idea or proposal comes from the other side of the aisle, I will support it. Second, my focus will be on how our policies affect people on the ground and the unintended, but frequently foreseeable, consequences that flow from well meaning policy initiatives.”
Christopher Kessler
Kessler, 40, is married and has two daughters. He is an energ efficiency auditor in private practice and an energy dvisor for Evergreen Home Performance. He has a bachelor’s degree. Kessler has been elected for two terms as a state representative for House District 32, which includes part of South Portland, part of Cape Elizabeth — similar to the new HD 121 created as a result of reapportionment. He is the ranking House Democrat on the Energy, Utilities & Technology Committee.
Housing, energy and workforce development are Kessler’s top priorities.
“I am focused on drastically increasing our housing supply, stabilizing costs, advancing greater protections for tenants and supporting the ‘housing first; model to fight homelessness,” he said. “Our housing crisis is the unintended consequence of treating housing as a commodity rather than the foundational right it should be.”
“I will continue moving full speed ahead toward our state’s decarbonization efforts,” Kessler said, “through energy efficiency, beneficial electrification, increasing renewable resource and energy storage capacity, and grid modernization efforts. We can and must decrease our dependence on fossil fuels to lower costs and strengthen our energy security.”
In addition, he said, “I will continue to support policies and expand incentives, education and training opportunities that increase workforce participation and meet the demand for sectors that are in greatest need: social work, health care, energy efficiency, the trades, broadband, research & development, and high value-added industries. We must support our disengaged youth, working parents, older workers, new Mainers and veterans to be able to fill these roles.”
Kessler said he hopes voters will elect him because, “serving in the legislature has provided me invaluable experience in how to navigate state government and the complex policy issues we face. My core values have remained unchanged: think critically, communicate openly and honestly, practice empathy and always be myself. I am not afraid to challenge Democratic party leadership, including the Governor, when I believe it is in the best interest of our people and the environment. However, I am open-minded and willing to change my position when the evidence warrants it and compromise in order to get things done. My professional and lived experience in energy and housing will continue to shape the policies that come out of Augusta, and my position as a more senior member of the Legislature enables me to affect these changes.”
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