Compiled by Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
District 3 Congressional District includes Caswell, Grand Isle, Hamlin, Limestone, New Sweden, Van Buren, Woodland and Cyr Plantation, plus the unorganized territory of Connor Township.
Bernard L.A. Ayotte
District 3 State Representative incumbent Bernard L.A. Ayotte (R- Caswell) has served in the Maine State Legislature for four years in the 123rd and 124th legislatures. A graduate from St. Francis College (now the University of New England), Ayotte was a school principal, educator, parish council member, and has owned and operated a small lumber mill.
Ayotte first decided to run for office because he wanted to help people who felt overwhelmed and frustrated by the bureaucracy of government.
The most important issue he feels is facing the community he serves is job creation, and should he be elected to serve in the 125th Legislature his primary goal would be to continue supporting small and large businesses with the end view of creating jobs as well as getting medical insurance premiums down to a reasonable rate.
Ayotte believes that his constituents should re-elect him because “I have first-hand knowledge of the worry and struggles parents face each day in raising a family, paying their bills and working, regardless of whether they work for others or own their own business,” he said. “I built and operated a sawmill business for over 32 years; I taught school at the same time and operated my sawmill full-time during the summer months. Both my wife and I worked very hard to put all of our children through college and spent many nights worrying about how we would pay all of our bills.”
“I am constantly aware of what the average family goes through in marking ends meet and at the same time maintaining their human dignity,” he added.
Ayotte knows that the high cost of energy, both electrical and fossil fuel, the high cost of medical insurance, maintaining a home and automobile is a staggering burden.
“I constantly do everything I can to alleviate their situation. I have personally addressed every problem brought to my attention and have written hundreds of letters on their behalf. It’s a never ending struggle and I will not give up,” Ayotte said.
Ayotte and his wife, Priscilla, have three children and four grandchildren.
Wade E. McLaughlin
District 3 Democratic candidate Wade E. McLaughlin of Limestone decided to run for office because he has “a genuine desire to help people and I believe that I could do this by serving all the people of District 3 in the Maine House of Representatives,” he said.
McLaughlin has served on the Limestone Board of Selectpeople, served as a Limestone Development Foundation director, served on the Limestone Revolving Loan Committee, was regional vice-chair of the Aroostook County Democratic Party and was a former candidate for the Maine House of Representatives.
He was also an education technician, a one-on-one tutor, a long-term substitute teacher, and a high/middle school sports coach in soccer, basketball and baseball. He was also a former administrator.
“House District 3 is a large and diverse area, having multiple distinct cultural backgrounds that can give them very different points of view. I have been knocking on doors in District 3 and have heard one common theme repeatedly taking on several variations; I call it lowering costs,” he said. “People are truly concerned about finding ways to get by and making ends meet. We here in Aroostook County continually pay more for a gallon of gas. We also have high electrical costs, goods and service costs. Yet consistently and frustratingly so, we continue to see a lack of job growth or even jobs maintained.”
“We are forced to streamline or consolidate services while never, ever seeing a lowering of your taxes,” he added, “so this massive and complex situation is what I see as the major issues in our community.”
McLaughlin also thinks that the primary goal of any legislator is to best serve the people by listening to their concerns and then creating sound legislation that will serve their best interests.
“People are crying out for lower taxes and welfare reform that doesn’t hurt those that are in need of real assistance. We need to allow small businesses to find their way and be of assistance, not a hindrance to them,” McLaughlin said. “I would ask people to vote for me because I will listen to them and work for them.”
If elected, McLaughlin says that he will host a weekly meeting, rotating it throughout the nine towns inviting any and all of District 3’s residents to come and speak with him. “I would be going to Augusta to represent their needs and concerns, because I won’t become another person who goes to Augusta and doesn’t remember why I am there. I want to be your voice and work for each of you,” he said, “that is why you should vote for Wade McLaughlin.”
