In 2018 we missed a chance to seat a progressive Cumberland County District Attorney when Stephanie Anderson retired. The Democratic primary was competitive and nominee Jon Gale seemed assured of victory. Alas, John Sahrbeck, an Independent who had been a registered Republican until just before the primary, slid into office with only about 25 percent of the vote after Gale withdrew.
When Sahrbeck got wind of strong competition this time around, he recently enrolled as a Democrat in order to face Jackie Sartoris in the primary, masquerading as an apparent Democrat incumbent – a canny but disingenuous move. Sartoris is a prosecutor with heart, someone who understands that we need an approach to criminal justice that doesn’t criminalize poverty, prioritizes treatment over incarceration for drug crimes, and makes a real place for restorative justice where appropriate.
Please join me in voting for Jackie for DA in the June 14 primary.
Carol Eisenberg
Peaks Island
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