Voter turnout is expected to be high in the U.S. election on Tuesday, November 5, with many considering the race for president one of the most consequential in many decades. Polls are indicating nearly a dead heat in the contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. In Maine, voters will also have choices in the races for U.S. Senate and House seats and for the Maine Senate and House, along with contests for county and municipal positions. Ranked-choice voting will be used in the federal races. Voters also will be deciding on five statewide referendum questions, including one on changing the official state flag.
      On the ballot in Maine, five choices for U.S. president and vice president are listed: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz of the Democratic Party; Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat of the Libertarian Party; Jill Stein and Rudolph Ware, independent; Donald Trump and James Vance for the Republican Party; and Cornel West and Melina Abdullah of the Justice for All Party.
      Profiles of the other candidates on the ballot in Washington County follow.

U.S. SENATE
In the U.S. Senate race, independent incumbent Angus King of Brunswick is running for reelection against three other candidates: independent Jason Cherry of Unity; Democratic Party candidate David Costello of Brunswick; and Republican Party candidate Demi Kouzounas of Saco.

David Costello
     In an address to Maine Democrats in May, David Costello urged fellow Democrats to back "long overdue" legislative and constitutional reforms to better protect personal rights and freedoms and more effectively tackle such problems as climate change, escalating gun violence, economic inequality, unaffordable housing and healthcare and insufficient retirement security.
      According to his website, Costello would work for legislative reforms "to end the gridlock and dysfunction in Washington and ensure that middle and working class families in Maine achieve greater success and stability." He would seek to have legislation enacted to reduce housing, healthcare, transportation and childcare costs and expand education, job training, housing and other opportunities.
      He would support passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and other elections related legislation to improve elections security, increase voter participation and reinforce the legitimacy of elections results. He also would support the Fair Representation Act to foster a more democratic and representative Congress through the establishment of proportionally elected, non gerrymandered U.S. House districts.
      Costello would support increased funding for non partisan public news broadcasting and enactment of public interest social media rules and requirements that oblige social media platforms to adhere to strict privacy and anti violence incitement rules and to provide space for important, fact based public interest information.
      Costello favors expanded civics education mandates and funding and increased funding and support for citizenship enhancing national service programs. He also supports abolishing the Electoral College and establishing a system of directly electing presidents and including ranked choice voting when there are more than two candidates. He favors: guaranteeing equal rights for women (ERA) and voters; restructuring the U.S. Senate so that the Senate's allocation of political power is more in line with a state's population and the democratic principle of one person one equal vote; and establishing 20 year term limits and a mandatory retirement age requirement of 80 years for U.S. federal court judges, including Supreme Court justices.

Jason Cherry
     Jason Cherry is a former criminal defense attorney and FBI special agent who lives in Unity. More information is available on his website, cherryforsenate.com.

Angus King
     Senator Angus King's website outlines many of the measures that he has supported, including the following.
      He voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that is bringing additional jobs to Maine and also introduced the PREPARE Act, a cost effective approach to help small businesses access the funding that they need to be proactive and resilient in the face of severe natural disasters. For broadband and other infrastructure improvements, he voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan Act to fund work on the roads, ports, drinking and wastewater facilities and also for broadband deployment.
      Concerning healthcare, he voted for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), one of the largest steps ever to lower healthcare costs for Maine people. Among other measures, the bill caps Medicare patients' out of pocket costs at $2,000 a year, caps insulin prices at $35 a month for Medicare beneficiaries and prevents pharmaceutical companies from increasing prices faster than inflation. The act is also the nation's largest ever investment in clean energy, including tax credits for heat pumps and biomass stoves, which will provide cheaper and cleaner options for home heating in Maine. He also supported record amounts for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and Weatherization Assistance Program in recent years.
      To help address the housing crisis, Senator King introduced the bipartisan Accessing Credit for Rural Economies Act, which would increase the number of rural mortgages that banks are able to extend, and supported the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act. Part of the bill became law in 2020, and its support is aiding the creation of new affordable homes in Maine. He also helped secure congressionally directed spending funds that will support the state's public universities to launch or expand targeted education and workforce development programs.
      For veterans, Senator King voted for the PACT Act of 2022 to expand VA healthcare and compensation benefits eligibility for more than 3.5 million veterans with exposure to toxic hazards. He also helped to pass the Veterans COLA Act of 2023, which increase benefits for 30,000 Maine veterans and their families.

Demi Kouzounas
     Demi Kouzounas was born and raised in Saco and became the first in her family to attend college, graduating from the University of Maine at Orono, and later earned a doctorate in dentistry from Tufts University. After graduation, she enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving overseas in Germany during the Cold War with her husband Joe. They returned to Maine and opened two dental practices in Skowhegan and Scarborough, as well as a neighborhood community mall. "As a small business owner, Demi understands the critical role small businesses play as the backbone of our economy," her website states.
      With the Saco Baptist Church, she went on nine trips treating Haitian migrant workers without access to basic health and dental care. She co founded Dentists Who Care for Maine and facilitated the start of Bright Smiles, a children's dental program. She later served as president of the Maine Dental Association, advocating for greater access to dental care for low income families and rural communities.
      "I firmly believe the American dream remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for all," she states. "My parents immigrated to this country and raised me to work hard, chase my dreams and turn them into reality. I am running for U.S. Senate to strengthen and protect the American dream for our children and grandchildren."
      According to her website, Kouzounas favors tackling "inflation head on and end the out of control pricing and inflationary spending that is punishing hardworking Mainers and saddling future generations with debt." She supports ending "the cycle of failed career politicians and fighting back against Washington's ineffective policies with common-sense solutions that put people first, not politics."
      Kouzounas supports securing the country's borders and ending "the crisis at our southern border that is rapidly spreading to our communities and threatening Maine families' safety and security." She says she would work to ensure that "the issues and concerns of Maine's seniors, veterans, taxpayers, families, small business owners and job creators are heard loud and clear in Washington and beyond."

U.S. HOUSE, 2ND DISTRICT
      For Maine's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, incumbent Democrat Jared Golden of Lewiston is facing Republican challenger Austin Theriault of Fort Kent.

Jared Golden
      According to his website, Congressman Golden "believes that big money in politics and corruption in government are barriers to progress on the serious issues facing the country." While in Congress he helped in leading Maine's successful referendum to ban foreign government spending in state elections and also introduced federal legislation to enact the prohibition nationwide. Golden has supported a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and voted in support of the For the People Act, which would limit partisan gerrymandering, bolster ethics rules, reduce the influence of private money in politics and expand voting rights.
      As for healthcare, Golden has been a defender of the Affordable Care Act. In his time in Congress, he has backed a bill to allow states including Maine to take advantage of full federal funding to support Medicaid expansion and prioritized lowering prescription drug prices.
      Concerning Social Security and Medicare, Golden has supported legislation to repeal the Windfall Elimination Program and Government Pension Offset, which reduce Maine retirees' Social Security benefits. He has promised to protect Social Security and increase benefits.
      As for the economy, he has introduced legislation to help grow the logging workforce, protect lobstermen "from misguided, unfair regulations and plan for the future of Maine's shipbuilding workforce." He has used his position on the House Small Business Committee to highlight the need to invest in rural infrastructure, including broadband. Golden worked with members of both parties to successfully pass the largest infrastructure package in U.S. history.
      He helped lead the effort to establish a permanent VA unit at Togus to provide long term beds for mental health and substance abuse treatment and helped block the establishment of the VA's AIR Commission, which was tasked with closing veterans care facilities in rural areas of Maine.
      Golden opposes efforts to weaken environmental protections and has backed legislation to keep the United States in the Paris Climate Agreement. He has voted to significantly increase funding for local law enforcement and the Border Patrol, and he helped in blocking consolidation efforts that would have delayed mail delivery in the 2nd District.

Austin Theriault
      Austin Theriault is an entrepreneur and former NASCAR driver "who is committed to making Maine's 2nd Congressional District a better place for working class Mainers to live," his website states. He hails from a multi generational logging and farming family with roots in the St. John Valley. "His family has instilled in him a love of Maine, a respect for hard work and a dedication to community service," according to his website. "That's where his passion to help regular Mainers who are struggling comes from -- and why he's dedicated to making a difference."
      Following his successful racing career, Theriault returned to Fort Kent and last year was elected to the Maine House of Representatives, representing much of the St. John Valley. "Born and raised in Fort Kent, Austin knows what our state faces," the website states. "Regular Mainers are being priced out and attacked by people in government who hold too much power and not enough common sense. It's time for energetic and effective leadership for Maine at a national level."
      While serving in the Maine Legislature, Theriault supported bipartisan legislation that will help repair the state's roads and supported a bipartisan law that will bring more manufacturing jobs and lower energy costs to rural Maine.
      "However, he also saw that much more needs to be done for rural Maine immediately -- and that's why he's running for the United States House of Representatives," the website says. "Mainers in the 2nd Congressional District need a voice in Washington who understands their way of life - and will fight for that way of life while forging relationships that will benefit Mainers for years to come."

MAINE SENATE DISTRICT 6
      Candidates for the Maine Senate and House seats covering Washington County were asked to respond to questions concerning how to create more jobs in the county and address the workforce shortage, how to respond to school funding issues and how to address the lack of affordable housing Downeast.
      For Maine Senate District 6, Democratic candidate Jonathan Goble of Cherryfield is challenging Republican incumbent Marianne Moore of Calais.

Jonathan Goble
      Jonathan Goble served 20 years in the U.S. Army and worked as a forensic psychologist the last 10 years before retiring. "I spent my entire working career in public service," says Goble. "This is one more opportunity that allows me to share my values of freedom, fairness and opportunity that I believe are our commonly held values."
      When it comes to job creation, Goble believes it requires a multi pronged approach like that put forth in Governor Mills' jobs plan. "We must invest in the support systems and community infrastructure needed for people to live healthy and productive lives and enable the supported businesses to thrive," he says. "This will include such things as adequate Internet connectivity, access to childcare, good local public schools, available healthcare and affordable housing."
      Goble believes there are many factors contributing to the school system funding issue. Low student enrollments are difficult to support. Job loss yields an inability for parents to live here within an aging Downeast population. "A key factor is the state's funding formula that leaves our coastal Washington County communities at a disadvantage in terms of state support because of the higher property values assumed," he says. "High land values and low incomes make the high expected level of local support unsustainable. That formula doesn't produce enough funding and needs to be fixed."
      "The key to making affordable housing available is going to be making the capital available for building such housing at a risk level lenders are comfortable with," says Goble. "Plans such as Governor Mills' Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan are making such funding possible. These grants enable acquisition and rehabilitation of rental housing units, adapting existing buildings for rental housing and new construction of rental housing. This can serve as a model for solving most aspects of the affordable housing shortage, but it is important to make sure the money goes to all the parts of the state it needs to go."

Marianne Moore
      Senator Marianne Moore is currently in her third term as a state senator. She previously served nine years as a Calais city councillor and four years as mayor.
      Moore says she is running because there remains much to do and she wants to finish the work she has started. Washington County gets forgotten when policies are being made in Augusta, says Moore. Funding tends to be directed to southern Maine municipalities. "I want to continue to be the voice of the Washington County citizens and make sure our needs are considered in all decision making steps."
      Workforce shortages remain a significant problem throughout the county. Moore believes in supporting small businesses by way of additional state funding grants. "I will continue to support funding grant programs encouraging our small businesses to open or expand, creating much needed jobs throughout the county," she says. "I will also continue to support workforce development efforts being made in the community college system and the University of Maine System."
      Moore admits school funding remains a significant issue for area schools. "The current funding formula is severely broken," says Moore. "As a legislator, I will continue to demand changes to the formula to be sure our towns are not overtaxed due to the discrepancies in the valuations and the populations of our schools. Our children deserve a quality education. The state has the obligation to fund our schools at the 55% level just like those in southern Maine."
      With regards to the current housing shortage the county is experiencing, Moore says she will speed up the permitting process and vote to cut regulations. "I will work with fellow legislators to address the high cost of homeownership, including skyrocketing inflation and interest rates," she says. "I will advocate to enable permits to be fast tracked, remove burdensome regulations and incentivize investments in a wider array of housing options."
      Moore looks forward to continuing her work if reelected. "I will continue to fight for common-sense priorities such as small businesses and the jobs they create, our roads, broadband expansion, education, working to improve our child welfare system, our substance use crisis, protecting our elderly, preserving our fishing industry and ensuring rural areas such as ours continue to have access to quality healthcare."

MAINE HOUSE DISTRICT 9
      In Maine House District 9, Democratic Rep. Anne Perry of Calais could not run again because of term limits, and Democratic candidate Darin McGaw of Baileyville is running against Republican candidate Arthur Mingo of Calais for the position she held.

Darin McGaw
      Darin McGaw grew up in Baileyville and describes himself as "a local who knows and understands what it is to live in Washington County in a middle income family," owing to a father who worked at the mill and a mother who was a nurse. As an educator in the county for the past 34 years, he says he has "always had a concern for my students, their progress and their success" and would channel that strength while representing the citizens of District 9.
      "I have spent time in most of the communities that make up District 9," McGaw says. "I understand the people, the issues, the needs, and wish to serve these communities that have given me my life's experiences."
      McGaw has several plans in mind to address the county's workforce shortage, including encouraging the expansion of St. Croix Tissue, Woodland Pulp and the Port of Eastport. Increasing access to medical care -- both dental and long-term -- is also key, along with protecting fishing grounds for commercial fishers, supporting the Wabanaki and their pursuit of tribal sovereignty and encouraging new residents with business plans to move in.
      To help support area schools, McGaw references a need to look at how urban and rural schools have differences in cost to ultimately "pursue greater funding for schools in Congressional District 2 as they are mostly all rural in nature."
      There are a few routes that can be taken in Washington County to address the housing crisis, McGaw says, including bringing in programs such as Habitat for Humanity. "We also need to support the building and development of reasonably priced apartment units," he says, along with building more senior living facilities to enable seniors to live comfortably while their former homes are made available to others.
      "We need to look at an overall plan that stimulates all of these items and makes it possible for all these areas to expand and grow," he says. "When I am elected, I promise that these will be on the forefront of my mind every day I spend in Augusta."

Arthur Mingo
      A lifelong resident of Calais, Artie Mingo has served on the city council for 18 years and as the mayor for two. He comes from a self employed, family-business background.
      "Being in municipal government for 20 years, I've seen a lot of the mandates from Augusta to all the different municipalities and the difficulties we have every single year because of it, either due to budget or process time," Mingo says. "I want to try to make a difference in Augusta and take my platform and try to make it work."
      Addressing the workforce shortage would alleviate many of the state's pressing problems, Mingo asserts, citing the number of working age men and women in the state who are not working, along with the existence of third generation welfare recipients. "I think that it's a telling sign that we need to reform the welfare system," he says. Recognizing that there's "always a supplement that should be in place to help people get through month to month," he believes that reforming welfare would go a long way to fixing the workforce shortage.
      Having more workers available would, in turn, lower costs for building construction, Mingo says, making it less expensive to build single and multi-family homes alike. The current lack of people who know the trades leads to a "name your price situation" for contractors. "The best thing for any economic development, as far as what you see for any kind of building or construction work, is competition. The more competition there is, the more sustainable the prices people would be looking to pay."
      In addition, having "fewer regulations, fewer enforcements from the state" will open up communities to attracting private employers as well as housing developers, Mingo says.
      Regarding the funding problems faced by schools in the county that have caused some to close, Mingo says that the population decline in some areas means that it's "just not sustainable for some of these communities to be able to keep their [school] doors open" and that consolidation or private education may be necessary steps to consider in the future.

MAINE HOUSE DISTRICT 10
      For Maine House District 10, Democratic candidate Peter Colman of Lubec is facing Republican candidate William Tuell of East Machias, as Rep. Kenneth "Bucket" Davis of East Machias is not seeking reelection.

Peter Colman
      Peter Colman is a retired public servant, having served 30 years with the National Park Service. A resident of Lubec, Colman currently is the natural area supervisor of Roosevelt Campobello International Park. "I am running for the opportunity to faithfully and humbly serve our community," says Colman. "My hope and my intention are to make transparent, collaborative and well researched decisions that will positively impact and bring benefits to all of the members of our community."
      When it comes to creating jobs for the county's current workforce shortage, Colman believes the answer lies in developing new revenue streams to support training and recruitment. "I will work to find financial and training resources that will support workforce recruitment and bolster training opportunities to strengthen our local economies," he says.
      School funding in Washington County remains a constant issue with many families, and Colman believes that public education is one of the most critical components of a successfully functioning society. "It is a touchstone of our values, ethics and humanity," he says. "Increased and ongoing funding is essential. I will work with vigor and passion to support legislation that increases state aid to our rural school districts; to support initiatives to recruit and retain educators; and to provide greater broadband services to facilitate more long distance learning opportunities."
      Colman believes all of the county's issues can only be solved once the current housing shortage is addressed. "If we are serious about solving the ongoing issues of workforce shortages, rural school budgetary shortfalls and healthcare accessibility, we will first need to satisfy our community's need and desire for affordable, safe housing. I will support legislation to fund the repair and revitalization of existing buildings, reform out dated zoning requirements and repurpose under utilized municipal lands."
      "My hope remains -- whether I have the privilege of serving my community or continuing on as an engaged and active community member -- to support folks in moving beyond feelings of just surviving to thriving."

William Tuell
      William Tuell is a fourth generation Downeaster and resident of East Machias, where he has served as a selectman since 2009. A graduate of University of Maine at Machias and Washington Academy, Tuell served eight years in the legislature from 2014 to 2022.
      "I am running because it is important that our area have experienced lawmakers with proven track records," says Tuell. "I have worked with most of the county delegation under two different governors and have always supported our communities that are facing pressure to become more like the bigger cities every day."
      Washington County is facing severe shortages in its workforce. Tuell believes support for what is working should be a priority. "Washington County Community College continues to provide dynamic skills training that local employers want and is leading the state in enrollment," says Tuell. "Schools such as UMM and Coastal Washington County Institute of Technology are expanding workforce training initiatives that can be built upon." He also contends that the current regulatory environment makes it difficult for small businesses to stay solvent.
      School funding needs to be addressed, and Tuell believes the reimbursement schedule needs to be changed. Increased regulations that the state does not pay for are also impacting this issue. "People do not realize just how much schools have to do that not only drive up the cost of education but alienate local people who are struggling to make ends meet and cover that cost with property taxes," he says. "Funding statewide education at 55% was supposed to be the answer. It would have been if the state hadn't kept tacking more mandates, more obligations."
      Regarding affordable housing Tuell believes a cap on public land ownership should be implemented and no more than 50% of any county should be owned by the government or nonprofits. "It only drives up the cost to taxpayers who are then forced out of their homes and the value of what property is left, making it harder for people to get a start," says Tuell.

MAINE HOUSE DISTRICT 11
      In Maine House District 11, the incumbent Republican, Rep. Tiffany Strout of Harrington, is again facing Democratic candidate Roland "Skip" Rogers of Jonesport.

Roland ‘Skip’ Rogers
      A graduate of Maine Maritime Academy who went to sea in the Merchant Marine and was involved in oil exploration in the North Sea, Roland "Skip" Rogers managed Federal Marine Terminals (FMT) at the Port of Eastport for 20 years. Now, he's interested in representing District 11 "to make sure that Washington County gets a fair shake in Augusta." Rogers gained experience dealing with the state while working with the FMT, he says, "and I know that we have to keep pressure on government bureaucracy so that rural communities are not swept aside."
      When it comes to job creation, Rogers would "work closely with the Sunrise County Economic Council and others to promote business startups and to maintain a favorable environment for business." In addition, he would encourage the development of broadband Internet in Downeast communities as "this will encourage and enable people to live in our area if they can be connected to work and other opportunities."
      Describing the school funding issues that are contributing to the closure of Washington County schools, Rogers says that "the school funding equation has long been unfair to coastal communities in our area" and that it needs to be changed, noting that "there will be pushback" on the formula if he is elected.
      To address the lack of affordable housing Downeast, Rogers would aim to work with the banks to enable them to "make loans for home construction and purchasing that will be at an acceptable risk to themselves."
      In closing, Rogers says he will "be a force" in what he anticipates will be the major party in the state "to bring the things to our area that will enable sustainable prosperity" and that "being a member of the majority party will be an advantage in leveraging support for Washington County."

Tiffany Strout
      Incumbent Tiffany Strout's family roots run deep in Downeast Maine, she says. She graduated from Narraguagus High School and worked at businesses such as Wyman's, Marden's and the Jackson Laboratory before arriving at her current role as the events coordinator for Wreaths Across America. Elected in 2022, Strout is running again as she believes "the rest of the state needs to understand rural Maine and our values of independence, hard work, pride and heritage" and to advocate for the safety and prosperity of the county's residents.
      Creating more jobs in Washington County is a matter of minimizing mandates on small businesses, Strout says, along with assisting with high energy costs and bringing in businesses that fit with the community and offer long term employment. Filling the workforce gap could be accomplished by moving state benefits away from an "all-or-nothing system" to enable those receiving assistance to enter the workforce.
      When it comes to school funding, more funding should be allocated to teachers and students rather than counseling, mental health monitoring and behavioral development, Strout says, advocating that these facets should be handled by outside entities to alleviate costs and strain on teachers. She has plans to introduce legislation for technical schools that will reduce the required number of course participants needed in order to receive funding from 12 to 8.
      For increased housing access, Strout says municipalities need to define what is affordable for their area before moving forward with a developer's proposal. Recognizing the increase in the number of short-term rentals in the state, Strout says that property owners would be encouraged to move toward year round housing if those in need of housing were able to secure "good-paying jobs" that would support stable occupancy.
      During her first term, Strout says she "worked hard researching bills before voting on them to make sure the outcomes would have a more positive impact on the area versus a negative outcome," and she says that she "would love the opportunity to go back to Augusta" to bring her everyday, hard working perspective to the State House.

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
      Both candidates for the two open seats as Washington County commissioners are unopposed. Republican candidate David Burns of Whiting is running for the District 2 seat that has been held for the past 20 years by Christopher Gardner of Edmunds, who is not seeking reelection. For the District 1 seat, William "Billy" Howard of Calais defeated commissioner Vinton Cassidy of Calais in the Republican primary and is running unopposed in the general election.