Maine’s Republican gubernatorial candidates will face off March 8 in a legislative forum at Saint Joseph’s College.
Sponsored by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, Saint Joseph’s College and Rep. Gary Moore (R-Standish), the debate will allow Lakes Region residents to familiarize themselves with the candidates and their positions.
Moore, Sen. Bill Diamond (D-Windham) and Rep. John Robinson (R-Raymond) will moderate the event, in a format that will include input from the public.
Scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in Alfond Hall, the forum will be preceded by the Standish Republican Caucus meeting at 5:45 p.m.
Three Republicans are challenging Gov. John Baldacci in the race for governor. With the Tuesday, June 13 primary less than four months away, these candidates welcome the opportunity to put their views in front of the public.
Candidate David Emory, 57, of Rockland, is owner and president of Scientific Marketing & Analysis and is a partner in Demographic Strategies.
He served in the Maine House of Representatives from 1971 to 1975. In1975, he became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving in that position until 1983 when President Ronald Reagan appointed him deputy director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.
His chief goals as governor of Maine would be to manage the budget more responsibly, assure accountability in state government, reform Maine’s health insurance system and create a comprehensive energy policy.
Candidate Peter Mills, 63, from Cornville, has practiced law for 32 years. He also owns Wright & Mills in Skowhegan.
Mills served in the Maine State Senate from 1994 to 2002 and became a state senator once again in 2004. He was a member of the Maine House of Representatives from 2002 to 2004.
Mills’s 12-Steps Plan includes ideas for curbing Maine’s debt problem, reforming taxes, boosting school results and reworking health care.
Chandler Woodcock, 56, of Farmington has lived in Maine all his life. He has taught high school English for more than 25 years.
Now in his third term in the Maine State Senate, Woodcock intends to develop a more beneficial relationship between government and employers, encouraging those who choose to keep their businesses in Maine and recognizing that these employers are the ones who keep people in the state by providing jobs. He is also pushing for tax reform and to lower the cost of energy for Maine’s citizens.
The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce anticipates a lot of public interest in this debate. While there is no charge and reservations are not required, Chamber Director Barbara Clark would appreciate a phone call from those interested in attending to provide her with a count for refreshments. Clark can be reached at 892-8214.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
