Two North Yarmouth residents are competing for a seat in the Maine House of Representatives representing District 105, which includes North Yarmouth and part of Gray.
Annie Graham is a Democrat who served in the House from 2010-14 and was a member of the town’s Select Board. David Reed is a Republican who has served on the town Select Board.
Here’s a look at the candidates’ priorities and positions on some key issues.
ANNIE GRAHAM
Q: What are your three top priorities and why?
1) Healthcare with emphasis on public health, mental health, prevention of illness and control of health care costs.
2) Protection of women’s right to choose and control of women’s health care without government interference.
Annie Graham Tsukroff Photo
3) Restoration of faith in democracy at the state and local government by protecting voting rights and listening to and working for the people of our communities.
Q: What are your biggest concerns about the economy right now and what should the Legislature do to address them?
I am concerned about the cost of living including the ability to heat one’s home, to put gas in one’s car, put food on one’s table and to be able to own/rent a home. Some of the solutions include: making sure LIHEAP funds are available to all who need them; encourage our federal delegation to investigate price gouging by oil companies; continue to support food pantries and Good Shepherd of Maine; work with lending institutions to help first-time buyers and support continued tax relief for our elders.
Q: Do you support changing Maine’s abortion law to make it more or less restrictive and how?
I support further strengthening of Maine’s law to protect a woman’s right to choose, including MaineCare coverage for all aspects of women’s healthcare.
Q: Do you believe President Biden won the 2020 election fairly?
Absolutely.
AT A GLANCE
Town: North Yarmouth
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Retired; LL Bean Outlet
Education: Bangor High School (1977); B.S Boston College (1981); Yale University (1986)
Civic/Political Experience: Maine State Representative 2010-2014, Chair of State and Local Government 2012-2014; Two 3-year terms North Yarmouth Select Board (2007-2010; 2016-2019) Advisory Council on Affordable Healthcare (2022); Kids Peace Maine Board of Advisors; Common Threads of Maine Board 2022; Gray Food Pantry Volunteer; American Legion Volunteer (Gray); Leadership Maine, Omicron Class, Maine Development Foundation
DAVID REED
Q: What are your three top priorities and why?
1) Building Maine’s economy, bringing good paying jobs to Maine, cutting reckless government spending, lowering taxes, addressing inflation by growing more food, growing manufacturing here in Maine, and building a 21st century workforce.
2) Fixing our education system, supporting school choice and parental rights in education, finding a path forward on school consolidation, and continuing to meet the 55% funding pledge for public schools (I would cut from other programs if state revenue fell precipitously, to support the 55%, as I view maintaining an adequate public school system as a very high priority). We must make sure that all high schools offer: civics, home economics, industrial arts, computer science, and financial literacy. We need to bring the trades back to middle and high schools!
David Reed
3) Protecting our environment and achieving energy independence from low carbon and traditional sources.
Q: What are your biggest concerns about the economy right now and what should the Legislature do to address them?
1. Inflation, potential solution: Build Maine manufacturing and farming industries. (Only increasing production and cutting government spending can solve inflation, as it is caused by too much currency in circulation and not enough product.)
2. Recession: We are either in one, or heading towards one. We need to be ready to make cutbacks if state revenue drops.
3. Energy Reliance: With the recent cuts in production by OPEC, we are going to see an increase in gas and oil prices (again). No Mainer should have to pay the price for the failed policies of the administration in Washington. I will work to ensure that no poor or elderly Mainers go cold this winter though providing targeted relief. We need to build an energy-independent America that is not reliant on the countries of the Middle East and their oil cartel.
Q: Do you support changing Maine’s abortion law to make it more or less restrictive and how?
No. I will protect the current legal status of abortion in Maine as outlined in Title 22 §1598, and will resist attempts to change the law to make it more or less restrictive. The viability standard has been in place in Maine since 1993. Taxpayer funds should not be used for abortions. Planned Parenthood offers reproductive health services on a sliding scale, and states that they will not turn people away because of an inability to pay.
Q: Do you believe President Biden won the 2020 election fairly?
Yes, Biden won. There has been too much election denial. It seems to just get worse every time. With the 2016 election it was rioting at Trump’s inauguration, and Clinton denying the election results. With the 2020 election, it was the unacceptable attempt to influence the outcome of the election by rioting at the capital, and Trump’s denial of election results. This trend poses a threat to our Republic and could lead us towards civil conflict.
AT A GLANCE
Town: North Yarmouth
Party: Republican Party
Occupation: Landscaping/administrative
Education: BA in Political Science
Civic/Political Experience: NHD (Science fair for history buffs), volunteered for 5 years through high school and college teaching/tutoring historical writing and research techniques; former treasurer, North Yarmouth Memorial Park; former treasurer of the USM Student Senate; Former North Yarmouth Selectman.
— Juliana Vandermark
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