Two political newcomers are vying for the opportunity to challenge the Republican currently representing several York County towns in the Legislature.
Clifford Krolick of Parsonsfield and Kelcy McNamara of Alfred will square off in the Democratic primary in House District 21. The winner of the June 12 primary will face Republican Rep. Heidi Sampson, who is running for a second term, and Green Independent Justin Lynn Reinhardt in the November general election.
District 21 includes Alfred, Newfield and parts of Limerick, Parsonsfield and Shapleigh.
Both were motivated to run for office by dissatisfaction with the current political environment and decisions that are being made in Augusta.
Krolick, 68, owns a small business and leads guided mountain biking trips. He said he is increasingly frustrated and found that many people in the district share that opinion.
“I get the same thing over and over. People generally are upset with what is going on in Augusta. There is a lot of apathy and thought that nothing is going to change,” he said. “I’m going to go up there and try to make some changes.”
McNamara, 38, facilitates yoga for trauma treatment and is currently enrolled in a post-graduate program. She said she decided to run for office because she feels her voice is not being represented.
“I was feeling the more people I talked to about that, the more I heard from my peers and community that they were feeling the same way,” she said. “I realized I wasn’t alone.”
Krolick, a self-described dreamer, said he is passionate about looking at the state budget and finding long-term solutions to a number of issues, including caring for the state’s aging population and keeping younger Mainers from leaving. He would like to build an infrastructure of programs across the state to provide a number of services, including affordable in-home care for seniors who want to stay in their homes.
Krolick also feels more can be done to address hunger and support the state’s agricultural economy.
“There’s no reason the state can’t come up with an infrastructure and support system to reestablish the family farm and assist the development of community supported agriculture,” he said.
Krolick supports better early childhood education and would like to see the state establish a program to teach new parents the skills they need to raise children with self-confidence, self-esteem, respect and inquisitiveness.
McNamara says she is focused on empowering Mainers rather than power hoarding, and is particularly interested in healthcare and veterans’ issues. Her work with trauma survivors in a clinical setting has exposed her to the reality that many Mainers cannot afford medical care. She supports Medicaid expansion and feels people need better access to preventive care.
“I feel like that is a basic human right for all Americans,” she said.
The ongoing opioid crisis is also concerns McNamara, who believes there are more resources that can be used to help people.
“We need to have more support for people who are looking to get better,” she said. “We also need to address the stigma around addiction.”
McNamara describes herself as an effective communicator with an open mind, and said her work with veterans is one of her motivations for running for office. “I kept seeing bills being voted against that would have been useful or helpful or supportive of veterans,” she said. “Here are folks who have really put their life on the line for our country and they can’t get services.”
Gillian Graham can be contacted at 791-6315 or at:
Twitter: @grahamgillian
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