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| Former State Senator and State Representative Gary Plummer, a Republican, right, will be opposed for the State Senate District 26 seat in the November election by Democrat Tim Nangle, a former Windham Town Council member. SUBMITTED PHOTOS |
ELECTION 2022 CANDIDATE Q&A
(Unedited for grammar and spelling and exactly as answered and submitted by each candidate.)
Gary E. Plummer
Maine Senate District 26, Republican
Occupation: Retired Teacher
Previous Elected Experience: Windham Town Council 1975 to 1982; Cumberland County Commissioner 1983 to 2004; Maine House of Representatives 2004 to 2012; Maine Senate 2013 to 2014
Why are you running for this position and please be specific.
Maine Senate District 26, Republican
Occupation: Retired Teacher
Previous Elected Experience: Windham Town Council 1975 to 1982; Cumberland County Commissioner 1983 to 2004; Maine House of Representatives 2004 to 2012; Maine Senate 2013 to 2014
Why are you running for this position and please be specific.
"I'm running because it's obvious that things aren't going well for people right now, and I want to help. That's how I've approached public service my whole life: I see a problem, and I want to help fix it. I'll work with anyone to get the job done that needs doing, and right now I feel strongly that instead of raising costs for people, Augusta needs to be lowering costs for people."
What’s the very first bill you will introduce if you are elected to serve in the Maine Legislature?
"I think people need a break on costs right now, so I'll be looking to accomplish that."
Please share your thoughts about the parent’s rights movement in Maine education.
"I taught public school in Standish and Windham for 34 years, and I can tell you that parents are absolutely concerned about their children’s education. And they should be actively involved -- children are 100% of our future! My job as a representative of the people will be to bring the concerns of people in this district to Augusta, and I'll certainly be a clear voice for making sure parents and students are well-served by our education system."
What three things have you accomplished to benefit this community in the past three years?
"I serve on the Board of Directors for Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors where I have helped raise many thousands of dollars to buy heating fuel for needy residents. I am a member of the Windham Historical Society where I have volunteered many hours to help create the Village Green. I also monitor Babb’s Covered Bridge for the Historical Society. As a member of the Windham Rotary Garden Club where I coordinate and help plant and maintain the gardens at Fosters Corner. I also serve as a volunteer driver for the Memorial Day Parade, the Summerfest Parade, the Easter Bunny Parade and the Santa Claus Parade. As President of the Windham Alumni Committee, I help plan a yearly celebration for those who attended schools in RSU 14."
Would you support legislation to require dairies to test milk for PFAS contaminants before it is sold to Maine consumers and if so, why is this important to the residents of Windham?
"I would need to see the bill and hear more about the science from regulators and farmers. I also want to hear from consumers on that topic as well. This is an important issue that touches so many different facets of Maine life, and it requires serious collaboration and reflection."
What do you think you will do better or differently than the candidate running against you if elected?
"It is hard to say what I would do differently than my opponent, because I know very little about him. I can tell you that I will work hard to represent the people of this senate district. I will treat everyone with respect and I will work with anyone of any political persuasion to make Maine a better place to live and raise our families. I also believe that my previous service in Augusta will help me hit the ground running."
What are the greatest economic, cultural, and social strengths of this community in your opinion, and how will you support those strengths if elected?
"We have energy - our businesses, our people, our civic life. People here are just plain good people, and I've always loved being a part of this community. I appreciate the camaraderie shown by people - it's tight-knit here. I'm really focused on helping to modernize this area, and this state's economy. I believe that widespread prosperity helps a community immensely."
If elected, which legislative committees would you like to serve on?
"I enjoyed serving on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. I believe my previous service on this committee improved the situation in Maine and I would be happy to return. I would also be happy to serve on the Transportation Committee. Others that I would consider are Judiciary, State and Local Government, Veterans and Legal Affairs, or the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife committees."
What specific ideas and proposals do you have to alleviate Maine’s housing crisis?
"I absolutely understand how frustrating it is for people trying to find housing in this area. I can't believe how tough it is, and I've been pleased to see some of the work on the municipal level that's been done. I'm leery of the state government getting too heavily involved in issues like municipal zoning. I believe that towns have the ability to best help solve these problems, but I'm open to hearing proposals at the state level that would help."
What’s the very first bill you will introduce if you are elected to serve in the Maine Legislature?
"I think people need a break on costs right now, so I'll be looking to accomplish that."
Please share your thoughts about the parent’s rights movement in Maine education.
"I taught public school in Standish and Windham for 34 years, and I can tell you that parents are absolutely concerned about their children’s education. And they should be actively involved -- children are 100% of our future! My job as a representative of the people will be to bring the concerns of people in this district to Augusta, and I'll certainly be a clear voice for making sure parents and students are well-served by our education system."
What three things have you accomplished to benefit this community in the past three years?
"I serve on the Board of Directors for Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors where I have helped raise many thousands of dollars to buy heating fuel for needy residents. I am a member of the Windham Historical Society where I have volunteered many hours to help create the Village Green. I also monitor Babb’s Covered Bridge for the Historical Society. As a member of the Windham Rotary Garden Club where I coordinate and help plant and maintain the gardens at Fosters Corner. I also serve as a volunteer driver for the Memorial Day Parade, the Summerfest Parade, the Easter Bunny Parade and the Santa Claus Parade. As President of the Windham Alumni Committee, I help plan a yearly celebration for those who attended schools in RSU 14."
Would you support legislation to require dairies to test milk for PFAS contaminants before it is sold to Maine consumers and if so, why is this important to the residents of Windham?
"I would need to see the bill and hear more about the science from regulators and farmers. I also want to hear from consumers on that topic as well. This is an important issue that touches so many different facets of Maine life, and it requires serious collaboration and reflection."
What do you think you will do better or differently than the candidate running against you if elected?
"It is hard to say what I would do differently than my opponent, because I know very little about him. I can tell you that I will work hard to represent the people of this senate district. I will treat everyone with respect and I will work with anyone of any political persuasion to make Maine a better place to live and raise our families. I also believe that my previous service in Augusta will help me hit the ground running."
What are the greatest economic, cultural, and social strengths of this community in your opinion, and how will you support those strengths if elected?
"We have energy - our businesses, our people, our civic life. People here are just plain good people, and I've always loved being a part of this community. I appreciate the camaraderie shown by people - it's tight-knit here. I'm really focused on helping to modernize this area, and this state's economy. I believe that widespread prosperity helps a community immensely."
If elected, which legislative committees would you like to serve on?
"I enjoyed serving on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. I believe my previous service on this committee improved the situation in Maine and I would be happy to return. I would also be happy to serve on the Transportation Committee. Others that I would consider are Judiciary, State and Local Government, Veterans and Legal Affairs, or the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife committees."
What specific ideas and proposals do you have to alleviate Maine’s housing crisis?
"I absolutely understand how frustrating it is for people trying to find housing in this area. I can't believe how tough it is, and I've been pleased to see some of the work on the municipal level that's been done. I'm leery of the state government getting too heavily involved in issues like municipal zoning. I believe that towns have the ability to best help solve these problems, but I'm open to hearing proposals at the state level that would help."
Tim Nangle
State Senate District 26, Democrat
Occupation: Help Desk Support
Previous Elected Experience: Windham Town Council 2015 to 2021
Why are you running for this position and please be specific.
"I’m running for District 26 because I’ve seen first-hand the changing needs of our communities. As a resident of Windham for over 2 decades and on the Windham town council for 6 years, I’ve been on the ground advocating for a better Maine. I want to continue the great work of Senator Diamond by following his example of hard work and dedication to this district by championing working class Mainers in Augusta. It’s important to protect our environment, adequately fund our schools and give our kids the best opportunity to succeed after high school. I’ll work to hold insurance companies accountable for their decisions and reduce medication costs."
What’s the very first bill you will introduce if you are elected to serve in the Maine Legislature?
"Recently, I was contacted by a first responder that responded to a critical incident that left them with a serious injury. Because this person is an infrequent responder, workers compensation calculates their “weekly benefit” based on their earnings from that one job. The amount of the weekly benefit is actually less than what this person would make while working one hour for this agency. This injury will take some time for them to recover to the point where they can begin working their regular full-time job. It’s unfair to this, and other responders who get injured in the line of duty during a response to have to suffer the financial hardship this injury has caused. I will submit a bill that will require workers compensation to calculate the weekly benefit based on the entire weekly income from all employers. We have a shortage of first responders in this state. To not compensate per-diem or occasional on call responder for a line of duty injury for their weekly pay, has a chilling effect on individual’s decision to participate in assisting their communities."
Please share your thoughts about the parent’s rights movement in Maine education.
"First and foremost, public education is a LOCAL CONTROL issue. The state provides guidelines on what should be taught at each grade level. It’s up to the local school board and administration to determine how that information is taught. One district may teach multiplication with one method and another district may use one entirely different. The effects of those differing methods will be shown during standardized tests. Currently parents have the rights that they need to understand and have input in what is being taught in their child’s classroom. Parents should feel free to contact their child’s teacher, principal, superintendent, or school board at any time. In my opinion, if the parent does not know what is being taught, they aren’t asking. While my daughter was in primary and middle school, we were always well informed about what was being taught."
What three things have you accomplished to benefit this community in the past three years?
"My time on the Windham Town Council has provided me the opportunity to have an impact on Windham that can’t be listed as just three things. During my time on the council, I worked to create open space, protect our lakes and streams water quality, build parks, have input into major infrastructure decisions that will service Windham well long into the future. I served as the Vice chairman of the council, chaired the finance committee, and most importantly interviewed individuals for volunteer positions within the Windham town government. The residents of these towns owe a debt of gratitude to those volunteers, because without them, town government would be unable to function."
Would you support legislation to require dairies to test milk for PFAS contaminants before it is sold to Maine consumers and if so, why is this important to the residents of Windham?
"PFAS or “forever chemicals” are a major concern to our health and safety. Because there needs to be determinations of acceptable levels and sources etc. I would need to review any proposed legislation. I’d want to hear from experts in the field before making any firm decision. I’m not sure that it would be legitimate to blame dairy farmers for all of our PFAS woes. There are many sources of PFAS. If mandated, I would suggest that the state fund the testing and research where the PFAS are coming from. If we’re going to hold one industry to a standard, why not all industries?"
What do you think you will do better or differently than the candidate running against you if elected?
"I think that I have more recent experience with the local issues that this region experiences. It’s time for new ideas and fresh faces in Augusta that more closely represent the constituents of this district. One thing that I learned while on the Windham Town Council is that in some cases “experience” also means locked into an ideology that was not beneficial to the council or the town. As Windham residents noticed (snd voted) once there were a few changes in the council there was a improvement of productivity. This district needs that change in Augusta as well."
What are the greatest economic, cultural, and social strengths of this community in your opinion, and how will you support those strengths if elected?
"Socially, these are large towns with a small-town feel. Having Raymond students in Windham Schools and Windham schools going to Westbrook schools for certain parts of their education provides an opportunity for students to meet each other. The amount of social integration of the schools, allow kids to have contacts they may not have if there were distinct school districts. These towns are experiencing growth at rates not seen before, that influx of new residents provides social and cultural change. Economically, our recreational opportunities with the lakes and being in the vicinity of major ski areas as well, provide a huge economic benefit to these towns. I believe the area could benefit from a unified economic development plan. Each town in this district is the gateway to another town. Working together economically would benefit the district. Culturally, we have various amateur theatre groups, popular recreation programs and various sports leagues that bring members of each community together."
If elected, which legislative committees would you like to serve on?
"Public Safety, Criminal Justice and Transportation."
What specific ideas and proposals do you have to alleviate Maine’s housing crisis?
"Housing is a supply and demand issue. Costs to build and maintain housing have nearly doubled. With the lack of good paying jobs in the state it makes housing unaffordable. During the last session the legislature passed legislation that provides some solutions to the current situation. While it’s too early to tell what effect that will have on some facets of the housing situation, it will be interesting to see what impact that could have. Using federal housing grants to issue bonds to incentivize the development of workforce housing could be helpful. Unfortunately, because of material costs and labor shortages what would have built 200 units of housing just 5 years ago may only permit the construction of 120 units.
I would work with stakeholders in this issue to determine what the best path is to alleviate this crisis."
What’s the very first bill you will introduce if you are elected to serve in the Maine Legislature?
"Recently, I was contacted by a first responder that responded to a critical incident that left them with a serious injury. Because this person is an infrequent responder, workers compensation calculates their “weekly benefit” based on their earnings from that one job. The amount of the weekly benefit is actually less than what this person would make while working one hour for this agency. This injury will take some time for them to recover to the point where they can begin working their regular full-time job. It’s unfair to this, and other responders who get injured in the line of duty during a response to have to suffer the financial hardship this injury has caused. I will submit a bill that will require workers compensation to calculate the weekly benefit based on the entire weekly income from all employers. We have a shortage of first responders in this state. To not compensate per-diem or occasional on call responder for a line of duty injury for their weekly pay, has a chilling effect on individual’s decision to participate in assisting their communities."
Please share your thoughts about the parent’s rights movement in Maine education.
"First and foremost, public education is a LOCAL CONTROL issue. The state provides guidelines on what should be taught at each grade level. It’s up to the local school board and administration to determine how that information is taught. One district may teach multiplication with one method and another district may use one entirely different. The effects of those differing methods will be shown during standardized tests. Currently parents have the rights that they need to understand and have input in what is being taught in their child’s classroom. Parents should feel free to contact their child’s teacher, principal, superintendent, or school board at any time. In my opinion, if the parent does not know what is being taught, they aren’t asking. While my daughter was in primary and middle school, we were always well informed about what was being taught."
What three things have you accomplished to benefit this community in the past three years?
"My time on the Windham Town Council has provided me the opportunity to have an impact on Windham that can’t be listed as just three things. During my time on the council, I worked to create open space, protect our lakes and streams water quality, build parks, have input into major infrastructure decisions that will service Windham well long into the future. I served as the Vice chairman of the council, chaired the finance committee, and most importantly interviewed individuals for volunteer positions within the Windham town government. The residents of these towns owe a debt of gratitude to those volunteers, because without them, town government would be unable to function."
Would you support legislation to require dairies to test milk for PFAS contaminants before it is sold to Maine consumers and if so, why is this important to the residents of Windham?
"PFAS or “forever chemicals” are a major concern to our health and safety. Because there needs to be determinations of acceptable levels and sources etc. I would need to review any proposed legislation. I’d want to hear from experts in the field before making any firm decision. I’m not sure that it would be legitimate to blame dairy farmers for all of our PFAS woes. There are many sources of PFAS. If mandated, I would suggest that the state fund the testing and research where the PFAS are coming from. If we’re going to hold one industry to a standard, why not all industries?"
What do you think you will do better or differently than the candidate running against you if elected?
"I think that I have more recent experience with the local issues that this region experiences. It’s time for new ideas and fresh faces in Augusta that more closely represent the constituents of this district. One thing that I learned while on the Windham Town Council is that in some cases “experience” also means locked into an ideology that was not beneficial to the council or the town. As Windham residents noticed (snd voted) once there were a few changes in the council there was a improvement of productivity. This district needs that change in Augusta as well."
What are the greatest economic, cultural, and social strengths of this community in your opinion, and how will you support those strengths if elected?
"Socially, these are large towns with a small-town feel. Having Raymond students in Windham Schools and Windham schools going to Westbrook schools for certain parts of their education provides an opportunity for students to meet each other. The amount of social integration of the schools, allow kids to have contacts they may not have if there were distinct school districts. These towns are experiencing growth at rates not seen before, that influx of new residents provides social and cultural change. Economically, our recreational opportunities with the lakes and being in the vicinity of major ski areas as well, provide a huge economic benefit to these towns. I believe the area could benefit from a unified economic development plan. Each town in this district is the gateway to another town. Working together economically would benefit the district. Culturally, we have various amateur theatre groups, popular recreation programs and various sports leagues that bring members of each community together."
If elected, which legislative committees would you like to serve on?
"Public Safety, Criminal Justice and Transportation."
What specific ideas and proposals do you have to alleviate Maine’s housing crisis?
"Housing is a supply and demand issue. Costs to build and maintain housing have nearly doubled. With the lack of good paying jobs in the state it makes housing unaffordable. During the last session the legislature passed legislation that provides some solutions to the current situation. While it’s too early to tell what effect that will have on some facets of the housing situation, it will be interesting to see what impact that could have. Using federal housing grants to issue bonds to incentivize the development of workforce housing could be helpful. Unfortunately, because of material costs and labor shortages what would have built 200 units of housing just 5 years ago may only permit the construction of 120 units.
I would work with stakeholders in this issue to determine what the best path is to alleviate this crisis."
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