For the November 4 general election in Maine, the gubernatorial race has been garnering the most media attention, while local races for Washington County sheriff, the area district attorney and for the Maine House of Representatives, including the contest between Rep. Katherine Cassidy and Will Tuell, also have been generating significant interest.
     In the three-way contest for governor, incumbent Republican Governor Paul LePage of Augusta is being challenged by Democratic candidate Mike Michaud of East Millinocket and independent candidate Eliot Cutler of Cape Elizabeth.
     For the U.S. Senate, Republican Senator Susan Collins of Bangor is being challenged by Democratic candidate Shenna Bellows of Manchester. In Maine's 2nd congressional district, Republican Bruce Poliquin of Oakland, Democrat Emily Cain of Orono and independent Blaine Richardson of Belfast are running to fill the seat that has been held by Mike Michaud.
     The November 4 election will be the first general election for the newly redistricted Maine House and Senate seats. Profiles of candidates in local races follow. Candidates were asked to identify the greatest challenge facing their office, the reasons for why they believe those challenges are the most significant and what they would do to address those challenges.

STATE SENATE DISTRICT 6
     For the State Senate District 6 seat, Republican Senator David Burns of Whiting is being challenged by Democrat Anne Perry of Calais.

David Burns
David Burns is seeking a second term in the State Senate. He previously served two terms in the House and is a 24-year veteran of the Maine State Police. According to Burns, the most significant challenges facing the district include economic development and the maintenance of access to healthcare, which includes both long‑term and critical-access facilities.
     "We need to have the right tax incentives to get businesses to come here and to stay here," Burns says, pointing to Baileyville as a model of how things can work. "They went looking and found a company that was willing to invest in the community," he says, citing the cross‑training program that was formed using the community college as a resource. High energy costs are an impediment to business development, he adds, pointing out that the use of natural gas at the Baileyville mill helps maintain a competitive advantage. "We need to develop natural gas," he says, while acknowledging that reducing carbon emissions is also important.
     "We have an obligation to provide a system to maintain critical-care facilities in the community," Burns says, pointing out that residents of Calais and Lubec understand the importance of long‑term care facilities. "We need to look closely at the business model of the 14 critical-access medical facilities we have in Maine." He adds, "We can't have people going two hours when they're dealing with a health emergency."
     "We need to look at how we educate our young people," says Burns, "and we need to be able to provide a good job if they choose to stay here. People aren't leaving Washington County because they don't like it here."

Anne Perry
     Anne Perry, who earlier served the maximum four terms in the House, is a nurse practitioner who formerly chaired the House Health and Human Services Committee.
     "We need to look at the economy differently," Perry says. "Washington County has one of the largest number of micro-businesses. Many have no health coverage, so they are one illness from being out of work." Micro-businesses, according to Perry, are businesses that employ 10 or fewer, and many employ only one. "I know a hairdresser," she says, "who ended up in the hospital. She couldn't work. How can she pay her bills?" Fishermen are often included in this category, she adds.
     Expanding healthcare coverage will help innovative businesses get off the ground, she explains. "I've spoken to people who have good ideas that would work but are afraid to leave a regular job because they would lose insurance. Fear of loss of healthcare is a deterrent" to business creation, she explains.
     School funding is also an important issue. "The loss of revenue sharing, in some cases as much as two-thirds, has hurt the towns. The responsibility of fixing the roads, paying for the schools, is still there. The property taxpayer is getting hit hard."
     Perry also expresses concerns about the fiscal issues surrounding the University of Maine System. "If we educate our young people here, they will be more likely to stay here," she says. Providing jobs after they complete their education is critical. "Building the economy in a rural area is very different from building in an urban area. Growth comes from within." Perry praises the efforts of the Washington County Council of Governments and the Sunrise County Economic Council for their work in encouraging business growth.

HOUSE DISTRICT 138
In House District 138, Democratic candidate Robert Alley Sr. of Beals is facing Republican Richard Paul of Addison. The coastal area had been represented by Peter Doak of Columbia Falls, who did not seek reelection.

HOUSE DISTRICT 139
Democratic Rep. Katherine Cassidy of Lubec is being challenged by Republican William Tuell of East Machias for the House District 139 seat.

Katherine Cassidy
Katherine Cassidy came to Washington County in 2003 as a reporter for the Bangor Daily News and subsequently worked at University of Maine at Machias in public relations. She explains that she has a special sensitivity to the access and affordability of healthcare after the death in 2012 of her husband to cancer. In 2012 she was elected as representative and has served on the Health and Human Services Committee.
     Cassidy says, "The economy is Washington County's greatest challenge." Families juggle with bills. Low‑paying jobs don't provide benefits that allow families breathing room. "We see our young people leaving for better‑paying jobs elsewhere. We clearly need some new ideas for job growth here at home."
     Cassidy was cosponsor of one of the measures that became Question 7, the marine economy bond issue, up for vote on November 4. "Its passage could enliven our coastal economy and workforce" by expanding commercial fishing, seafood processing and aquaculture, Cassidy notes. "We could develop new markets for Maine's signature seafood, lobster."
     Cassidy believes the creation of serious job growth has been a long time coming, "and it largely hasn't happened yet." She sees the county moving towards an entrepreneurial economy with individuals creating their own business opportunities. "Mainers can pursue strong business plans from anywhere." Training, resources, grant opportunities and start‑up support can all be brought to the county. "We can become do‑it‑yourself builders of businesses that can eventually support one, two, three or more of us. We can remake our independent lifestyles into Internet lifestyles, with the world as our new marketplace and sales base."
     A stronger economy starts with healthy families at home, Cassidy says. One in three children in Washington County lives in poverty. The effects spill into schools and communities. "Families live day‑to‑day with financial hardships that include, for 2,500 individuals in our county, not having proper healthcare or coverage." She says that can change by voting to accept federal funding through the Affordable Care Act to expand healthcare coverage in Maine.
      Cassidy has voted for an increase to the minimum wage, and she would support that again.

Will Tuell
     Will Tuell has served as selectman in East Machias since 2009. He has worked as publicist for 15 years at Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC), and he has reported on state and local issues for the Downeast Coastal Press since 2007. Tuell is a fourth generation Downeaster who overcame near blindness to graduate sixth in his class at Washington Academy and earn a bachelor's degree at University of Maine at Machias.
     Developing a strong rural caucus is a top priority, Tuell says. The rural caucus for legislators currently has about six to eight "out of dozens" who attend the meetings, he says. "Rural Maine does not have a cohesive voice in Augusta." While the southern part of the state exerts a lot of influence, he sees balance and representation being created through rural communities working together, no matter where they are located in the state. "We need to unite under one flag," to have rural voices heard in Augusta on issues ranging from healthcare to education. "Rural representatives are for their own districts, but there's a lot in common and this would be a way we could be advocating together." Local control is also an important element to Tuell's platform.
      Tuell believes the economic and business climate in Washington County needs to be a mix of large and small. "You need diversity," he says. "We can always attract more business. Chris Gardner and the port [of Eastport] are certainly doing that; the pulp mill [in Baileyville] has been adding jobs." Even bringing in cruise ships is helpful to build the economy, he says. The business climate can be helped through investment in resource development such as training and skill building classes similar to those that he has seen developed by SCEC. Some of those training programs resulted in several dollars per hour wage increases, he says. Education is also important for building local control. Two‑ and four‑year colleges provide programs that are relevant to the workforce, he adds, and help to build the types of skills that will allow people to stay in the county for work if they so choose.

HOUSE DISTRICT 140
Republican Rep. Joyce Maker of Calais is facing Democratic candidate Harold Clark Jr. of Calais in the race for the District 140 seat.

Harold Clark
     Clark believes there is extraordinary potential for the area. "As the only employer and business owner in this election, I have grown a small business from the ground up and know how to create jobs." He says that he knows the value of a rigorous local education and had both of his children educated at local schools. "After the current representative voted to raise health insurance rates for Washington County, I decided to put these experiences to work and try to provide the leadership that our area needs."
     Clark believes the greatest challenge facing the district in future years is a lack of well‑paying jobs and low levels of business investment. "This is a problem because it puts undue stress on our people, economy and government resources, which creates a cycle of unemployment that we need to break. As a small business owner, I have seen this problem first-hand, and I have common‑sense solutions that we can use to put our area back to work."
     Clark believes that, in order to create jobs, the cost of health insurance needs to be lowered, "so small business owners can hire more people." He believes that the funding model for schools needs to be fixed, "so that our area can have a well‑educated workforce that can attract outside investment. This will require true leadership, which I will work hard to provide."
     "I am not a politician. I am a businessman. While I can't match my opponent's rhetoric, I can provide something that she cannot: real experience creating jobs and running a small business. I know what our area needs in order to create jobs and bring in outside investment, which our area needs in order to reach its full potential. We need true leadership to make this a reality, which is why I need your vote on November 4."

Joyce Maker
     Joyce Maker has served two terms as a state representative and retired after 36 years working at Washington County Community College. She has served terms as a city councillor, school board member, board member of the Finance Authority of Maine, member of the Maine Municipal Executive Committee, council member on the Sunrise County Economic Council and is a current trustee of Calais Regional Hospital. In the legislature, she serves on the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee.
     Maker believes that the region can be strengthened by decreasing the cost of energy, creating good paying jobs and addressing the high cost of education. "The lack of nursing homes and assistance for elderly in our rural areas is an emergency and must be addressed," she says.
     "We must focus on cost‑effective renewable energies, and we must ensure that communities are involved in decisions about renewable energy technology." She believes that in order to increase jobs "we must continue to decrease taxes, mandates and regulations on businesses. Businesses need stability."
     Maker says, "We have worked hard to do what we can for our schools. Unfortunately, there are always more funds needed. Every year we try to address the problem, but the answer is always the same: There is not enough money. For those schools who are not receiving the 55% state funding, the legislature must begin progressing toward that goal."
     "We were able to get some help this year for our rural areas, but we need more funding to really do the job right. Pursuing additional funding will be an ongoing necessity."

HOUSE DISTRICT 141
Republican Rep. Beth Turner of Burlington is running unopposed for the House District 141 seat.

WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF
     Two candidates are vying for the office of Washington County sheriff. Incumbent Donnie Smith of Lubec is once again running as an independent to win a third four-year term, and he is being challenged by Republican Barry Curtis of Cherryfield.

Barry Curtis
     A 25-year veteran of the Maine State Police, Barry Curtis says he is running for the office of Washington County sheriff "basically because it's time for a change, and I would bring professionalism and integrity back to the office."
     "I want people to be proud of their sheriff, and I want to stress communication between the sheriff's office and the [law enforcement] communities," he says. "I want to see where the problems are and, in the case of drugs, I want to attack that problem first before communities are swallowed up by that type of crime."
     "I can do a better job of handling other departments and get people working together," adds Curtis.
     The 60-year-old Cherryfield resident's law enforcement background includes three years with the deputy game warden program before successfully applying for the Maine State Police. He was assigned to Troop E in Orono, where he worked with many local police departments as well the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties sheriffs' departments. Curtis finished the last 15 years of his state police career patrolling Hancock and Washington counties, where he also worked with both sheriffs' departments and local police departments.
     Curtis says he is a firm believer in the Second Amendment as well as all citizens' constitutional rights.
     "I want to serve and protect Washington county citizens the way they should be," he adds.

Donnie Smith
     Sheriff Donnie Smith says, "Although I wasn't ready for the politics," he has been up to the challenge of holding office as an independent and wants to continue helping Washington County residents.
     He points out that the department has been "struggling to keep positions" with only a $2.4 million budget. However, he is happy to report that he was still able to add a detective and drug agent to his staff of 10 deputies and 30 jail personnel.
     "I was opposed to the 2008 consolidation of jails in the state because the state couldn't fund their own prison system, but the good thing is that we owed no money on ours," he points out.
     "Corrections is the hardest job in law enforcement, and they get the least credit and funding," says Smith.
     The sheriff says his department was recognized in two recent years for the highest crime clearance rates in Maine.
     "Going forward, as we all know, Washington County has a horrible substance abuse problem, and I want to be proactive instead of reactive," says Smith. "I wish I had a magic wand [because] we're losing the war on drugs but most of the crimes solved, including two big heroin busts in the townships, were solved with help from the community. We couldn't have done it without that assistance."
     "Over 100 sex offenders in the area have come into compliance since I became sheriff."
     "Resource sharing with the state police has saved us $40,000 in overtime pay," he adds. "If someone needs to take a sick day, that assignment can always be covered by another [law enforcement officer] in Washington County."

DISTRICT ATTORNEY
     Carletta Bassano is not seeking reelection as the district attorney for Washington and Hancock counties. Democratic candidate William Entwisle of Sedgwick and Republican candidate Matthew Foster of Ellsworth are running for the position.

William Entwisle
     William Entwisle has been a lawyer for 26 years, and for the past 11 years he has been working as a prosecutor in Washington and Hancock counties.
     Entwisle believes the greatest challenge facing the next the district attorney will be to effectively manage the resources of the office so each case is given the attention it deserves. "Illegal drug activity has been a scourge to many of our communities for a long time and deserves a strong response." Additional serious issues include domestic violence, property crimes and driving offenses. "The experience I have in handling thousands of cases over the past 11 years, working with law enforcement and training the newer lawyers in our office, will serve me well as district attorney," he says.
     He says he will use his past 11 years of experience as a prosecutor to assign prosecutors to handle cases for which they are qualified based on their level of training and experience. He believes that an effective manager has to know how to do the job first. "The priority I have will be to fight for public safety. I will effectively manage the resources of my office. I will also work with the law enforcement agencies in Washington and Hancock counties to develop a coordinated response to the serious problems we face. I will work to ensure that between my office and the Attorney General's Office there is a prosecutor who can devote sufficient attention to the problem. And I will work with the drug courts in Washington and Hancock counties to support those programs."

Matthew Foster
     Matthew Foster was a combat paramedic in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged. He is a graduate of the University of Maine at Orono with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, a graduate of Suffolk University's Sawyer School of Management with a master's degree in business administration and a graduate of Suffolk University Law School.
     Foster has practiced in Ellsworth as a criminal defense attorney, "mostly representing indigent defendants for 11 years." He has held elected office as an Ellsworth city councillor and as an appointed member of the Ellsworth Zoning Board of Appeals.
     He believes the greatest challenge facing the district is domestic violence and drug/alcohol-related crimes. "In many domestic violence cases, the victim is either scared of the perpetrator or feels guilty about following through with prosecution because of an ongoing relationship." He explains that in most cases the victim is the only witness, and without that witness there is little likelihood of the prosecution winning the case. "That is why it is so important for prosecutors to stay in contact with the victims, to be diligent in their work and to ensure that cases are not compromised by careless errors like discovery violations or witness tampering. As your district attorney, I will ensure that the prosecutors working these cases give them the highest priority."
     He believes that the majority of other crimes in the area can be attributed to drugs and/or alcohol. "I will make it a priority for my prosecutors to be aware of the signs of substance abuse and, in those non‑violent cases where it is warranted, seek to get treatment for defendants who take accountability and want help." He adds, "We have wonderful programs like drug court in Hancock and Washington counties that are being severely underutilized."

OTHER POSITIONS
     The following candidates for county positions are unopposed: Republican incumbent John Crowley as county commissioner for District 3; Republican Lyman Holmes of Machias as probate judge; Republican Carlene Holmes of Machias as register of probate; Republican Jill Holmes of Jonesport as county treasurer; and Republican Sharon Strout of Machiasport as register of deeds.