On the Ballot: House District 81
Age: 85
Residence: Waterford Professional Background: B.S., Bates College; M.Ed, University of Maine Personal Background: 26 years in public education as a teacher, coach, school administrator and State Commissioner of Education; 16 years as a member of the Maine House of Representatives and 22 years of Cabinet Level Service in the Executive Branch of State Government as an Appointee of five Maine Governors.
The seat for Maine House of Representative District 81 is a battle between incumbent Sawin Millett Jr., a Republican from Waterford against Democrat Daniel Sipe of Norway.
HD 81 includes Norway, Sweden, Waterford and West Paris.
The News posed the following questions to the candidates, and their answers are arranged alphabetically.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Q. Why did you decide to enter politics?
Millett:In my early 20s, I served as an elected selectman and Town Meeting moderator; and also began an eight-year stint as a district-wide school administrator. Those experiences gave me a chance to interact directly with local voters and I thrived on being able to communicate with them and earn their trust. Running for the Maine Legislature was a natural outgrowth of that local government service.
Sipe:I am running to support higher wages, better infrastructure, and community conversations that allow us to bring our differences to the table without hating each other for them. I am running because we need to make sure that the younger generations in rural areas have opportunities that those in more suburban areas have. I am running because we need to take control of “Our Power” and to protect our environment “For Future Generations.”
Q. What strength/skills would you bring to the position?
Millett:I am an experienced problem solver and a committed public servant. I enjoy working in a bipartisan manner to get to solutions that meet the needs and desires of my constituents. My personal reputation for honesty and integrity is my greatest asset.
Sipe:I am an organizer at heart. My greatest strengths are bringing groups of people together, finding connections and utilizing people’s skills to accomplish big things.
Residence: Norway Professional Background: Co-Founder of Lights Out; currently working on renovating the old Snowcraft/Tubbs Snowshoe factory into a community art and innovation center.
Personal Background: My father, a small business owner, and my mother, a civic leader, raised me in Presque Isle, and I spent my youth as a “County” kid with a strong sense of community. In 2020, I moved to Norway. I enjoy kayaking, hiking, and exploring whether it be in the woods around Oxford County or across the globe.
Q. What do you believe the role of government should be?
Millett:Government should serve to promote a free and open society, provide quality education for our youth, assure access to a healthy environment and quality of life and help to keep us safe and free without denying our basic freedoms.
Sipe:I believe that the role of government is to serve the people. That can mean many things, but essentially it means that the government needs to let people live, and support people so that they can live. The best judge of a government is how it treats the least fortunate among us.
Q. If elected, what would be your three priorities?
Millett:My top three priorities for the next Legislature will be: 1.) To do everything in my power to reduce the staggering rate of inflation that is hurting us all,
2.) Provide immediate relief and longer-term solutions to the high cost of energy and,
3.) To formulate immediate strategies and incentives to promote affordable housing for all Maine citizens.
Sipe:My top three priorities are: 1.) Investing in the infrastructure of Maine particularly Internet and transportation. These investments will create jobs and lower consumer costs, and make transportation around the state easier.
2.) Passing the Pine Tree Amendment in order to protect our environment in Maine from the whims of corporations and the government. We need to protect what we all enjoy about living in Maine.
3.) Reel in corporate greed, specifically health insurance and energy companies. Mainers are breaking under the cost of energy and health care and these companies are seeing record profits. It simply doesn’t add up.
Q. What issues/problems do you feel the state has fallen short on and what do you propose to do to improve that situation?
Millett:Maine state government — and many of the political leaders who run it — have a long history of “boom and bust” responses to the challenges that arise and the frequent tendency is to “kick the can down the road” until the next election. We need to focus our energy on making shrewd and thoughtful decisions that prepare us well for the next generation of Mainers.
Sipe:Infrastructure. We have bad roads, no Internet in much of rural Maine and a lack of public transportation.
