Greens to Challenge Dem Big Guns
Portland’s Green Independent Party nominated two candidates at a party caucus held at Portland’s City Hall on July 24th, to compete in two of the highest-profile legislative races to be contested in the city this fall.

Kelsey Perchinski will run for the State Senate seat representing District 8, which covers most of the city. The seat is currently held by Portland West’s Executive Director Ethan Strimling. Republican David Babin is also a candidate in the race. Perchinski, a native of New Hampshire, is the program manager at WMPG. She is married and is the mother of a four-year-old girl. She was also Babin’s campaign manager when he ran against Strimling two years ago.

At the same caucus, Matt Reading, a native of Auburn and currently a resident of Portland, was nominated to run in the race to represent the Parkside/Bayside neighborhood, District 119, in the State Legislature. That seat is currently held by Representative Herb Adams, who is also being challenged by a Republican. Reading previously ran for office in Auburn.