Another Democrat has entered the race for the Bath-area Senate seat.
Longtime state Rep. Denise Tepler of Topsham on Sunday announced her candidacy for the Senate District 24 seat currently held by Democratic Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli, who reached the four-term limit.
Denise Tepler. Courtesy photo
Tepler, 67, of Topsham, also reached the four-term limit as a state representative for Topsham, serving from 2014–2022.
“My eight years of service in the Maine House taught me that it is possible, through hard work, to make effective improvements in government and public policy that increase the well-being of Maine people,” Tepler said in a statement. “I also learned that access to the halls of power needs to be shared. Helping my constituents navigate the bureaucracy of state government was one of the most satisfying parts of the job.”
Tepler joins Jean Guzzetti, a former Sagadahoc County register of probate, as the only candidates who have announced a run for the seat. The primary is June 11, 2024, and the election is Nov. 5, 2024.
“Denise Tepler has a wealth of experience in the Legislature, including most recently as chair of the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee,” Vitelli said in a statement. “She has fought for years to improve access to quality health care for all Mainers, no matter where they live or how much money they make. She has served her constituents well in the House, and I know she would bring that same dedication to the Senate.”
Added Senate President Troy Jackson, “Denise is an experienced legislator, passionate advocate and proven health care champion. As former House chair of the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee, she played a pivotal role in the passage of laws to lower the cost of prescription drugs and improve access to quality affordable health care coverage. In Sagadahoc County, she has stepped up to combat hunger and meet the needs of her community through her work with the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. There is no question that Denise would represent the people of Senate District 24 well in Augusta.”
Vitelli and Jackson also issued statement of support for Guzzetti when she announced her run.
Prior to her legislative service, Tepler served on the Topsham-area School Board for six years and the town’s Finance Committee for six years. She is a volunteer and former chairperson of the Sagadahoc Democrats and currently serves on the boards of the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, the Maine Public Health Association and the Highland’s Residents Assistance Fund.
Senate District 24 covers all of Sagadahoc County and Dresden in Lincoln County.
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