Maine election 2022: McAdam vs. Lanigan for House District 141 state rep.
Democrat John McAdam is running in the 2022 election against Republican Lucas Lanigan for the District 141 seat in the Maine House.
John McAdam
Hometown: Springvale, Maine
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and placed the power to regulate abortion with the states. What should state lawmakers do regarding abortion laws?
The government/state should not be regulating a woman's reproductive health. Maine's abortion statute allows abortions up until viability 22-28 weeks. I would like to see this in the state constitution.
The state's residents and businesses face many economic challenges, including high prices for electricity and fuel, a labor shortage, a lack of affordable housing and rising prices due to inflation. How would you address these challenges?
This covers a lot of issues. Having never served in the House I would have to rely on incumbents for how to attack these issues. I don't think the Legislature can do anything about fuel prices. Electricity - more renewable energy sources. Labor shortage - change immigration policies to allow asylum seekers to work after 30 days, not six months. Allow more immigrants in on seasonal work visas. Force developers to add affordable housing units to apartment buildings, this may require some sort of incentive. It looks like inflation is trending downward.
What else do you want voters to know about you or your policy positions before the election on Nov. 8?
Climate change. Being a farmer, I have seen first-hand the change in climate. Extreme drought conditions to extreme rain events. The lack of snow which insulates the roots of the fruit trees. The wild swings in temperature that can kill fruit buds. Loss of farmland. With climate change, farmers can grow more crops and for longer periods. Food insecurity. This affects people of all ages from children to seniors on fixed incomes and those in between. They need fresh, locally grown food and not processed foods. Sustainability. We received a REAP grant to install a 20KW solar system to offset our energy costs. A heat pump was installed in the Donut Shack and a three-head heat pump in our new office space. We are also using biodiesel in our tractors and side by side. The used shortening from the Donut Shack gets pumped out and used by the biodiesel company.
Lucas Lanigan
Hometown: Springvale
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and placed the power to regulate abortion with the states. What should state lawmakers do regarding abortion laws?
Nothing. We have laws on the books that both protect a woman’s rights and the rights of an unborn baby. Maine has a lot more issues that are unresolved and need the full attention of the Legislature.
The state's residents and businesses face many economic challenges, including high prices for electricity and fuel, a labor shortage, a lack of affordable housing and rising prices due to inflation. How would you address these challenges?
We need to make sure all Mainers are taken into account when we offer programs such as LIHEAP and subsidies for affordable living. We have a system in place that does not reward responsible financial behaviors, allowing the state to put an undue burden on the majority of taxpayers. Eliminating the work requirements for welfare recipients has proven detrimental to the future growth of our great state. The PUC is an immediate area we can find solutions to lowering energy costs.
What else do you want voters to know about you or your policy positions before the election on Nov. 8?
I have always prided myself on listening to both sides of an issue and attempting to view it through multiple lenses. I have found my experience as deputy mayor and city councilor for the City of Sanford/ Springvale has allowed me to work in a bipartisan manner looking out for all and not a select few. I believe we can lower taxes while making other programs more efficient, allowing us to invest in our youth and workforce. Our welfare system needs a major renovation so we can lift people up vs. trapping them in an endless rut of poverty. I know in my heart we can do better for all families and create a middle class that can thrive and grow here in Maine.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine election 2022: McAdam vs. Lanigan for House District 141 state rep.
