Freeport voters will decide a rematch between Maine State Rep. Melanie Sachs and Republican Jay Finegan two years after Sachs won Democratic-leaning House District 48. The candidates are now vying to represent the newly drawn District 102, which does not include the parts of Pownal previously bundled into District 48.
Sachs, a longtime social worker and former Freeport town councilor, hopes to build on her previous work to tackle rising home and utility prices. She also singled out protecting reproductive rights as a major priority.
Finegan hopes to win his first elected office after spending eight years as the Maine House Republican Office’s communication’s director. He plans to take on the widespread housing shortage and work to make political discourse more civil.
Q&A with Melanie Sachs
Tell the voters about yourself.
After serving six years on the Freeport Town Council, I had the honor of being elected by my community to the Maine House in 2020. I serve on two Committees – Energy, Utilities, and Technology (EUT), and Taxation. I am also an appointed member of the Maine Climate Council’s Building, Infrastructure, and Housing Working Group. In my free time I volunteer for Meetinghouse Arts, Freeport Friends, and Freeport Climate Action Now, and enjoy hiking with my husband and two rescue pups.
Why are you running for this seat?
I absolutely love constituent service. As a social worker for over 25 years, and with eight years of elected public service, I have found helping my neighbors with essential services, information and resources is the best part of my job. I also leveraged my extensive experience in policy development, advocacy and collaborative problem solving to move legislation forward in my first term that will help all Mainers thrive, and I hope to continue that good work.
What are the biggest challenges or concerns facing your district in the coming term?
My constituents cite the cost of living – including costs for housing, health care and energy – as a significant challenge. Much of my work last session addressed those challenges. On the Taxation Committee we increased municipal revenue sharing and expanded property tax relief programs. In EUT, we tackled energy costs through fuel assistance programs, weatherization funding and accountability measures for utilities. My bills took significant steps to address needed affordable housing, healthcare services and workforce shortages. The Legislature fully funded our K-12 education commitment and made significant strides to lower student debt. A continued multi-faceted approach to support Freeport families is critical.
What are your top priorities if elected?
I share the same priorities as my constituents. Making progress on our climate and energy goals, increasing our affordable housing stock and ensuring access to high quality health care – including reproductive health care – are all exceedingly important issues. I have a proven track record supporting these initiatives while also delivering expanded property tax relief programs, working with our RSU 5 teachers to protect their benefits and supporting economic development.
Q&A with Jay Finegan
Tell the voters about yourself.
After graduating from Penn State University and military service in Europe, I moved to Washington, D.C., to begin a career in journalism. I worked as a reporter, magazine feature writer and then as Washington Editor for Inc. Magazine. After moving to Maine, I spent eight years as communications director for the Maine House Republican Office. Switching gears, I joined Prudential Financial Inc. As a financial professional and registered representative, I handled investments and insurance of all kinds.
Why are you running for this seat?
I am deeply disturbed about the direction of our state and nation. Freeport needs a state representative with common sense and the experience to deal with complex issues. The World War II generation gave us a country that was economically strong, safe and freedom loving. As a parent, I believe it is our responsibility to pass down to our kids, and their kids, a country that is safe, strong, sane and financially stable.
What are the biggest challenges or concerns facing your district in the coming term?
The cost of housing in Freeport, and the housing shortage generally, have made it very tough for young people to move here. We’re adding new apartment buildings, but the shortage will persist. Our lobster fishermen are fighting an expensive battle for survival against special interests and overbearing regulation. Our K-12 school kids lost a year or two of education during the pandemic shutdown, and test scores are down. They will need help catching up.
What are your top priorities if elected?
My overarching priority is to instill a tone of civility and respectful discourse in legislative affairs. Tough problems need cooperative engagement. More specifically, I favor expanded vocational training to fill numerous job vacancies and strengthen the local economy. The soaring cost of electricity, heating oil and fuel must be addressed. The trend line is unsustainable, especially for those on fixed incomes. The deadly fentanyl plague, which killed hundreds of Mainers last year, must be stamped out, but we will need Washington’s help to solve that one.
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