Intro and background

I have lived in Presque Isle my whole life, raised my children here, and I have served locally on the MSAD #1 school board for 30 years. I have 9 grandchildren, 5 of whom are currently attending Presque Isle schools. I retired after working as a dental hygienist for 44 years, including orthodontics and general dentistry. My parents worked hard to put food on the table. My dad was a general laborer and WW II veteran, and my mother worked as a telephone operator for New England Tel and Tel. Costs are out-of-control and it feels like the government is not working for the people. Running for State Representative wasn't something I planned to do, but I feel strongly that we need someone who will stand up for working people, someone who knows how difficult it is to make choices for our families when costs are so high.

My Priorities

Keep our local schools open and strong

I participated in the expansion of the MSAD 1 Educational Farm and cider facility, and know how important it is to have a school that reflects the values and priorities of the community. I also pushed to expand all day kindergarten because it was something the community really wanted and needed. We need to make sure the state continues and expands revenue sharing to help local schools better serve the community.

Reduce the burden of property taxes

Costs are too high and this has already impacted property taxes here in Presque Isle. I've seen my own property taxes increase by 44% over the last 10 years. Along with all of the other high costs we have to make sure we send someone to Augusta that will work to reduce our tax burden.

Support working families

I’d like to make sure we invest in programs that help working families, provide affordable childcare and housing, as well as community resources LIHEAP program and food banks and the Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP).

Fight for quality, affordable healthcare in our community

As a dental hygienist I've seen how difficult it is for working families. The system we currently have is so difficult to navigate! Even for folks with health care coverage, it takes so many hours of planning visits, procedures, negotiating with providers, insurance companies, and then all of the recovery and rehabilitation afterward.  I’ve seen so many examples of worse outcomes because of how difficult it is to navigate the system. And many underlying health issues could be caught early if the system worked better for working families. I’ve seen how difficult it is for families who don’t have good health care coverage and how it leads to bigger health problems later on. The State needs to be doing more to help.