BIDDEFORD — The election on Tuesday will feature a race in Maine House District 11 between incumbent Democratic State Rep. Ryan Fecteau and his Republican challenger Emily Rousseau.
Fecteau has been in office since 2014 when he beat Debi Davis by nearly 33 percentage points. The Biddeford native was re-elected in 2016 by more than 35 points.
Both candidates were given an opportunity to answer questions from the Journal Tribune, but Rousseau did not respond to the questionnaire.

The candidates were asked about the ongoing gun control debate and what should be done here in Maine.
“There is no question that gun violence is an epidemic in our country. Each time I see the breaking news headlines concerning a mass shooting, whether at a concert, a school, or a nightclub, my heart sinks into my stomach. I cannot imagine the pain inflicted on families who lose their loved ones to these senseless acts,” said Fecteau. “And listen, we often confine gun violence to murderers on killing sprees. Nearly two-thirds of gun deaths are suicides and access to a gun increases the risk of death by suicide by three times. Our friends and neighbors are losing brothers, sisters, grandchildren, sons, daughters, moms, and dads to a single pull of the trigger.”
Fecteau believes the implementation of universal background checks is the first step to solving the problem of mass shootings and school gun violence.
“The United States has a gun homicide rate that is 25 times higher than any other high-income country in the world. First and foremost, we need to implement universal background checks to reduce the likelihood that a gun ends up in the hands of the most violent among us,” said Fecteau. “Secondly, health care has a significant role in this conversation. Too few, especially those on the margins of our society, have access to affordable health care. As a result, mental health crises are not properly addressed and cared for. Finally, we need to educate the public about what it means to be a responsible gun owner like we do with any other public health issue.”
The two-term state representative believes both sides need to have a reasonable conversation about the issue.
“This public policy debate has devolved in such a way that reasonable, common sense interventions have been drowned out by assertions that all guns are going to be taken away. The seriousness of gun violence should not be left unaddressed, because extreme convictions on both sides of the issue have paralyzed political courage,” Fecteau said.
Fecteau also addressed the rising costs of health care in Maine.
“I remain immensely concerned about the rising costs of health care, particularly how it has burdened seniors in our community. The health care system is completely broken. Drug companies exploit those who are reliant on medications to survive and insurance companies require customers to leap through hoops before they cover medications or procedures,” said Fecteau.
“Far too often the most stressful moments for families are made unnecessarily more hectic by the battles they need to wage in order to get medical bills paid,” Fecteau continued. “In April of this year, I learned about a fellow Biddeford High School classmate of mine who was denied coverage under MaineCare (prior to expansion) and left uninsured. He was injured due to a medical condition and required surgery. As a result, he was stuck with a medical bill exceeding $40,000. We cannot remain idle. The status quo is absolutely ruining people’s lives.”
The Biddeford Democrat believes the first step to solving the problem is expanding MaineCare.
“First and foremost, Maine needs to fully implement MaineCare expansion as overwhelming approved by voters in 2017. Secondly, we need to engage our New England neighbors and explore the possibility of a public option health care consortium,” said Fecteau. “We cannot continue to charge for-profit companies with the mission of providing affordable care to our citizens. They have failed. Finally, when it’s safe to do so, Mainers should be able to purchase cheaper prescription drugs from outside the country. There is not one fix to this issue, but we need to get serious about offering potential solutions.”
When it comes to luring high-paying jobs to Maine, Fecteau believes it starts with investing in Maine-based businesses.
“I believe our best opportunity to add high paying jobs is to grow Maine-based businesses. We need to offer grants to small businesses to receive training and staffing in areas that are often most challenging such as online marketing, expanding into new markets (national/international), reigning in expenses, etc,” Fecteau said. “Furthermore, regions of the state need funds for adequate planning to really determine how to make smart investments that meet an overall economic development plan. We need to continue and perhaps expand our low-interest loan offerings to businesses so they can take risks.”
Fecteau believes the state needs to also invest in trade schools to insure there are enough workers in Maine.
“In addition, we have so many employers who are in desperate need of employees. A significant portion of the Maine workforce is reaching retirement age. We need to double down our efforts to train and retain our young people. I’ve sponsored legislation to send a bond to voters that would invest $40 million in our vocational schools,” Fecteau said. “Maine’s 27 vocational schools have not received an injection of state resources since a 1998 voter-approved $5 million bond. Unfortunately, the legislation I’ve sponsored has been held in the appropriations committee. I remain determined to get it passed. There are too many job openings with great wages in the trades. Our vocational schools should be capitalized; they are a tremendous resource.”
The Biddeford native is hoping his neighbors will send him back to Augusta for another term.
“I love our state and our city. The opportunity to serve in the legislature, representing my hometown, has been an immense privilege. I am running for re-election, because I know the challenges ahead will require persistence and new perspectives to solve,” Fecteau said. “As someone who graduated from university in 2014 and chose to return to Maine, I know what barriers exist for my peers when determining whether or not Maine should be where they build their future. I also know young entrepreneurs who have been successful here and I’m constantly picking their brains as to why they chose Maine, what made them successful, and how we can ensure their longevity.
Fecteau is looking to head back to Augusta to finish the job on many issues.
“A recent report from the Department of Labor projects Maine will experience no job growth through 2026. This is significant. We cannot ensure our seniors have access to affordable housing and health care if these projections are realized. We cannot reign in rising property taxes if these projections are realized. We cannot sustain business operations and compete in a global economy if these projections are realized,” said Fecteau. “Our state will be starved of resources. I am the right choice for voters in this election, because I will continue to press the issue of attracting and retaining young people. I will not give up on ensuring our seniors can enjoy the retirements that they worked hard to earn. I am more motivated than ever before to challenge the status quo and offer new ideas concerning looming barriers to our state’s success.”
— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at [email protected] or at 780-9017. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.