Ahead of primary, Republican legislative candidates share top issues and priorities
The speaker's chair in the chamber of the House of Representatives in the Maine State House in Augusta. (Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)
Reining in state spending, the cost of living and parental rights are among the top problems that concern the Republican candidates for the Maine Senate and House of Representatives. But, what sets these legislative hopefuls apart?
Maine Morning Star asked each of the candidates in the nine contested Republican primary races in the upcoming June 11 election to outline the top issues they think Mainers are facing today, and what their top priorities would be if elected.
The election will include contested races for 17 legislative seats overall, with eight taking place on the Democratic side. Those candidates outlined their priorities for Maine Morning Star, too, with common themes being the state’s housing shortage, climate change and reproductive and LGBTQ rights, among others. Read more about the Democratic candidates here.
Here are the responses we received for candidates in the contested Republican primary races, which have been edited for length and clarity.
Senate District 16 (Kennebec County)
Scott Cyrway, who previously served four terms in the Maine Senate and is currently a member of the House, is concerned about energy costs and said the state needs to “get back to commonsense energy policy that puts Maine people first and provides us with lower costs that are more reliable and less invasive.” Outside the Legislature, Cyrway is a deputy sheriff and previously served in the United States Air Force Civil Air Patrol.
He is also concerned about the education of children, particularly parental rights — generally meaning a desire for parents to have more control over what their kids are learning in schools— though, Cyrway is also concerned about lingering effects on children from the COVID-19 pandemic. “That doesn’t involve just throwing more taxpayer money at the problem without a plan or goal, but supporting our teachers and empowering our parents,” he said.
Cyrway hopes to prioritize his constituents’ needs if elected. “We have a lot of challenges facing us: we have major problems with high-tension power lines running through our community; PFAS is ruining our drinking supply, farms and waste systems; and our local property tax burden is out of control,” Cyrway said.
Michael Perkins is similarly concerned about the rights of parents in their child’s education, as well the cost of living, housing for the elderly and veterans and drug and border policies. Raised on a dairy farm, Perkins also served in the United States Air Force and worked in law enforcement.
As for Perkins’ top priority: “Taking care of the people of Maine,” he said. “Being their voice of reason.”
Senate District 10 (Penobscot County)
Peter Lyford, the incumbent in this race, said the number one issue facing Mainers is the economy. Lyford pointed to inflation as well as high energy and food costs, explaining, “we have got to get a handle on these things and we don’t seem to have that handle yet as far as I’m concerned.”
Lyford, president and CEO of a hydroseeding and commercial landscaping company, was elected to the Senate in 2022 after serving four terms in the House. As for his priorities if re-elected, he said reining in state spending and finding better means to convert the state’s waste into energy top his list.
“Our landfills are filling up and we need to have a better method of just taking trash to a landfill,” Lyford said. He also hopes to introduce legislation to stop subsidies on solar and wind, and thinks the state is moving too quickly with adopting electric vehicles.
David Haggan did not provide responses. Haggan is currently wrapping up his fourth term in the House, where he served on the judiciary committee and previously the committee on marine resources.
According to his campaign website, if elected, he intends to focus on gun rights, reducing energy and living costs, protecting parental rights and overall reducing the size of state government, among other priorities. Haggan is a middle school social studies teacher.
Senate District 19 (Oxford County)
David Duguay thinks the top issues facing Mainers are energy prices, inflation and crime.
These issues would also be his top priority to fix if elected. “We need to get energy prices and inflation under control and need to enforce consequences for crimes,” Duguay said.
Duguay previously served Oxford as county commissioner and currently serves on the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments and the Western Maine Workforce Development Board.
Joseph Martin did not provide responses. According to his campaign website, he has served on the boards of several publicly traded companies and is a miner by trade, who intends to focus on protecting taxpayers’ wallets if elected.
There is no incumbent in this race. Duguay and Martin are vying for outgoing Sen. Lisa Keim’s seat.
House District 52 (Bowdoinham)
David Guilmette sees the economy as a key issue for Mainers. “People are struggling with their basic needs, rent/mortgage, food, energy,” he said.
Other top of mind issues for Guilmette are education, particularly what children are taught and communication between parents and teachers, as well as what he sees as a problem with safety in the state, noting “lack of support for our law enforcement and failure to hold violators accountable.”
“My top priority will be to bring good common sense to Augusta,” Guilmette said, “and represent all the people equally and to the best of my ability.
Brian Roy said he is concerned with the federal reserve. He views the country’s central banking model as one of perpetual debt collection every time new currency is created. “This of course has led to trillions in debt that can never be paid off,” Roy said, also attributing inflation to this model, which he said “effectively makes savers into losers, and debtors into winners.”
He believes it is only a matter of time before there’s a shift to a new economic paradigm and as a public servant would want to proactively have related discussions. “I also believe that we must prioritize the safety net for Maine’s most vulnerable if and when this economic restructuring occurs,” Roy said. “On the short run, and as a legislator, I can at least see eliminating sales tax and capital gains tax on money itself.”
The winner of District 52 will face Democratic incumbent Rep. Sally Cluchey in November.
House District 98 (Durham)
Joseph Galletta, the incumbent in this district, said the top issue in Maine is the tax burden placed on citizens, which he said falls on the working class in particular.
If re-elected, Galletta said he wants to work on reeling in state spending and making the state a more enticing place for children to stay and work to combat the aging population and workforce. Overall, Galletta wants less focus on growing state government and more on expanding business opportunity and parental rights, he said.
“The only way that we can fix that is to get the majority and to recruit the governor and hope that the governor cares about her legacy enough that she decides that she’s going to work with the Republicans,” Galletta said.
Guy Lebida said the top issues facing Maine citizens are the high cost of living and high taxes. “I hear it everyday when I am out knocking on doors, that people cannot afford to live here without going to get a second and third job,” Lebida said.
If elected, Lebida’s top priority would be to reduce electricity costs, which he hopes will also lower the cost of food and other essentials.
Lebida would also focus on public education, which he thinks is currently inadequate in the state. “We need to concentrate on the core subjects, such as math, science, reading and English,” Lebida said.
House District 122 (South Portland)
Michael Pock thinks the economy is the top issue in the state. “Industry is leaving Maine and the state isn’t doing anything to stop it,” Pock said. “State politicians are spenders, not savers.”
Creating more affordable housing would be Pock’s top priority if elected. “You can’t tell me a ‘starter home’ in Maine requires a small family to have to have two jobs,” Pock said, noting that he has seen home prices in South Portland rise in the past decade. “City councils and state legislators need to be businessmen and not lawyers and realtors.”
Patricia von Schaumburg did not provide responses and does not have priorities readily accessible via a campaign website.
The winner of this district will face Democrat Matthew Beck, who won a special election in 2023 to fill the seat of the late Lois Reckitt.
House District 96 (Lewiston)
Joseph Velozo thinks the cost of living is a top issue for Mainers. He is also concerned about immigrants entering the country illegally and the use of state resources to assist them.
His priority if elected would be to address these two concerns. “Then, I will focus on the housing crisis and help keep Mainers’ constitutional rights,” Velozo said.
Lee Clement directed Maine Morning Star to the priorities outlined on his campaign website, on which he describes himself as a “common sense public servant that will right Maine’s course.” If elected, Clement intends to focus on fiscal responsibility, legislative efficiency, public safety and law enforcement, and encouraging community engagement to solve social issues, according to his website. Clement has previously served on the Lewiston City Council.
House District 13 (Ellsworth)
The Republicans vying for a seat in this district, Cheryl Hewes and Russell White, did not provide responses. According to Hewes’ campaign website, she is a former private school teacher and would focus on parental rights if elected. While White does not have a campaign website, The Ellsworth American previously reported that he is a U.S. Air Force veteran, experience he intends to guide how he serves the Maine House if elected — collaboratively and with a sense of importance to duty.
Whoever wins this primary will face Democratic incumbent Rep. Mark Worth.
House District 78 (Rumford)
Incumbent Rachel Henderson and Nathan White did not provide responses. Henderson is currently finishing her first term in the Maine House and serves on the Judiciary Committee. White does not have priorities readily accessible via a campaign website.
The winner of this race will face Democrat Eric Giroux of Rumford.
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