A longtime Republican senator who was recently cleared after an ethics complaint faces a challenge for re-election in York County’s Senate District 34.

Sen. Ron Collins of Wells has served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives and three terms in the Maine Senate. Also on the Nov. 8 ballot is Democrat Jonathan Kilbourn, who would be a newcomer to the Legislature.

In its first-ever meeting last week, the Maine Senate’s Conduct and Ethics Committee cleared Collins of unethical behavior after a complaint that he defrauded taxpayers by “douple dipping” on his expense reports for lodging and travel. The claim had originated with two Democrats – Sen. John Patrick of Rumford and Senate Minority Leader Justin Alfond of Portland.

The two candidates have different positions on key issues in the 2016 election.

In a Portland Press Herald survey, Kilbourn said he will support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine, an increase in the state’s minimum wage and the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.

“Working parents should be able to pay the rent, buy groceries and meet their families’ basic needs,” Kilbourn wrote regarding his support for the minimum wage ballot initiative.

Collins, on the other hand, said he will oppose all of those measures.

“Marijuana is nothing more than a threshold drug to hard-core drugs” such as heroin and opiates, Collins wrote on the legalization question.

Both candidates are publicly funded under Maine’s Clean Election Act, which limits private contributions and provides $20,000 to $60,000 in supplemental public funding to candidates for the Senate.

According to the latest financial reports, Collins had spent nearly $29,000 as of Oct. 25. He had collected $2,855 in seed money contributions and nearly $27,000 in Clean Election funding, so his cash balance at the end of that period was less than $600.

Kilbourn had spent nearly $46,600 by the same date, and he had roughly $3,331 remaining in cash. Of his contributions, roughly $3,000 came from seed money and nearly $46,900 came from Clean Election funding.

Senate District 34 covers part of York County – the municipalities of Acton, Kennebunk, Lebanon, North Berwick, Wells and part of Berwick.

 

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