Maine Senate District 31: Represents Buxton, Old Orchard Beach, Saco

Democrat and incumbent Donna Bailey is opposed by Republican Craig Pendleton.

Bailey

DONNA BAILEY

City/Town: Saco

Relevant Experience:

Former Saco Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals member; former York County Probate Court Judge; two term Representative in the Maine House, one as House Chair of the Judiciary Committee; two terms in the Maine Senate, current Senate Chair of the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee

Why are you running for office? 

I am running for reelection to continue my work helping others. I entered public service for the same reason I became a lawyer and a judge: to give back to my community.  I strive to fulfill my Rotarian motto of  “Service Above Self.”

What are your top three legislative priorities?

Affordable housing: The No. 1 issue I hear from constituents is the need for addressing the lack of affordable housing in our community. Addressing this problem will require we continue our work to increase the number of affordable units, make it easier for first-time home buyers to purchase a home, and to protect the affordable homes we already have.

Continue efforts to lower property taxes: We have made progress in our state efforts to send more money back to municipalities so they can be less dependent on property tax revenue, both by funding revenue sharing at 5% and funding education at 55%. We need to look at increasing the percentage of revenue sharing, but any increase should be tied to a commitment that the increased revenue go toward lowering property taxes.

Continue efforts to protect our most vulnerable: I will continue my efforts to strengthen our child protective services to protect children and families, both as a member of the Judiciary Committee and as the only member of the Legislature serving on the Maine Child Welfare Advisory Panel.

Pendleton

CRAIG PENDLETON

City/Town: Old Orchard Beach

Relevant Experience:

Several years of senior management experience, having served on state and federal management committees and commissions

Why are you running for office?

I feel strongly that we need to swing the political spectrum back into the middle and use common sense and business experience to solve the state’s problems.

What are your top three legislative priorities? 

Property taxes, especially for seniors on fixed income along with dealing with unfunded legislative mandates that impact local budgets. Energy costs and common sense approaches to new and developing technology like solar and wind. I have firsthand experience in the proposed offshore wind sites; I know the bottom type, the species of marine resources that live there and how terrible the weather can get there. I have a lot of questions that need answering before we give away the area. Solar farms on undeveloped land are a poor use of much-needed, buildable space for housing. And finally, Maine needs to stop the negativity and develop a positive atmosphere, like we did in Biddeford, where talented people want to come and invest time, energy and resources. We are a beautiful state with so many assets, we just need to shift gears and think positively and stop dwelling on negatives.