Red, white and blurred: The towns of Berwick in Maine’s 1st Congressional District and Hampden in the 2nd District are both purple, having recently tilted both Democratic and Republican. The 2024 election will be decided in communities like these, where residents long for a time of greater civility. Read their stories:
• Residents of politically divided Hampden tread carefully with their neighbors
• Residents of ‘very purple’ Berwick just try to get along
Robert Drew, 71, of Frankfort, likes to lister to conversations around him at the Coffee Break Café in Hampden. When it comes to his own politics he tries not to say too much. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Susan Taylor, 66, has been a librarian at the Edythe Dyer Community Library for 30 years. She thinks Hampden’s social structure has changed to the point where the sense of connectedness has eroded, and politics has played a role in that. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Alison Herlihy, the owner of Badwolfe Butcher and Deli in Berwick, stocks the shelves. She hears from customers across the political spectrum and she wishes people understood how much they have in common. She plans to vote for Kamala Harris. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Linda Davis, 77, eats breakfast with a Trump-supporting friend at Mainely Local Yolks in Berwick. She says she doesn’t identify with either party, but she knows one thing for sure: “I do not like Donald Trump”. She plans to vote for him anyway “under duress”. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Kim Taylor, 56, of Lebanon says that although she is a registered Republican, she will vote for Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. “As far as the election goes, I hope that it happens peacefully”, she said. Taylor said that she chose not to cast a vote in the 2020 presedential election. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Mandy Barrington, 33, of Carmel with her children, Beatrice and Maia, outside the Hampden library. She plays close attention to politics and says what matters to her now is the character of leaders. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Brent Williams, 65, gets a haircut from Miranda Burrows at Ray’s Barber Shop in Berwick. His opposition to abortion is one reason he is supporting Trump. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Meagan Brasslett grew up in Hampden and homeschools her daughter Leigha, 5. She thinks Trump is a good guy but expects Harris to win and that makes her nervous. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
James Hare, 36, is a Harris supporter in Berwick. He worries that Trump would actively thwart democracy if president, and has a lot of conflicting emotions and anxiety about the election. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
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