Local Candidates Announce

Two Dems to Face Off in Primary
Winner will face Eder
Two West End Democrats are expected to face off in a June primary to determine which will run against current West End State Representative John Eder, who is the state’s only Green Party State Representative.
Jon Hinck, 51, is an environmental lawyer at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. His legislative priorities would include healthcare, environmental issues, affordable housing, and the state budget.
Hinck would face off against Robert O'Brien, 25, a graduate of Deering High School and Bates College. He is employed at Central Maine Power, and is President of the Irish American Club of Maine and was recently elected President of the West End Neighborhood Association. His principle platform is encouraging an economy within the state that can sustain the numbers of educated young people leaving every year for better opportunities.


College Republican Will Run Against Adams in Parkside
Jason Lavoie, who is Chairman of the College Republicans at the University of Southern Maine, will run against Parkside/Bayside Democratic State Representative Herb Adams in the November election. Lavoie told the Portland Republican City Committee on January 23rd that he is running for the State Legislature because he doesn’t want to have to leave the state when he graduates from college next year because of a lack of opportunities here.
Lavoie, who is a Clean Elections candidate, said that the top issues in his campaign would be taxes, health care, and the unbalanced ideological atmosphere that exists on college campuses. Lavoie had threatened to leave the University last fall if the Student Senate endorsed the statewide gay rights referendum He said he is a supporter of the Academic Bill of Rights. He expressed opposition to the Dirigo health plan which he called a “mistake by the Governor and the Legislature.” He is also for eliminating the business equipment tax and reducing the sales tax and reducing government spending.