Kevin Raye takes on Michaud
for seat in U.S. Congress
Kevin Raye (R-Perry) is seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine’s Second District. The seat has been held since 2003 by Democrat Michael Michaud of East Millinocket. Raye’s answers to a candidate questionnaire follow:
What makes you the strongest congressional candidate for Maine Second District?
Washington is broken and needs a fresh perspective in order to work again.
My background working with Olympia Snowe, and my experience as the owner of a small family business – Raye’s Mustard Mill in Eastport – has prepared me well. Throughout my career in the Maine Senate, and especially as President of the Senate, I have led the way in working across party lines to solve problems.
Small business and agriculture are the economic lifeblood of rural Maine, and I have always stood with our small businesses and family farms, earning a 100 percent rating on small business issues from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, with more than 3,800 members in Maine.
What personality traits do you possess that would make you an effective Congressman?
I am by nature optimistic and enjoy bringing people of different viewpoints together. Growing up with a Democratic Dad and a Republican Mom taught me early on that Democrats and Republicans can respect each other and get along! Sadly, that has become a lost art in Washington today. I believe the two parties need to talk with each other, and listen, in order to work through problems and find solutions – and that is what I have done in Augusta.
As President of the Senate, even though we had Republican majorities in both chambers, I sat down for dinner with the Senate and House Democratic leaders and the Speaker of the House every Thursday night. We did this to build a good working relationship that allowed us to communicate and work together effectively. With Sen. Snowe leaving Congress, we need people who are committed to moving past the polarization and partisanship now more than ever more. My record shows that is my approach.
Who has made the greatest impact on your life and why?
My parents and grandparents were all enormous influences in my life, growing up as one of eight boys in my family. Then as a 16-year-old high school student in Washington County, I wrote a letter to Olympia Snowe when she was considering her first run for Congress. That letter, and Olympia’s thoughtful hand-written response, literally changed the course of my life. Soon after, she called me and came to visit me, and I became her county campaign co-chair before I was old enough to vote. After college, I worked for Olympia for 17 years. For 11 years, I worked in Maine, running her offices in Bangor, Presque Isle and Auburn, where I helped veterans, seniors and others cut through government red tape. Then, for more than six years, I served as Olympia’s Chief of Staff in the United States Senate before my wife Karen and I moved home to Washington County.
The experience of working at Olympia’s side all those years taught me the importance of working together across party lines to solve problems. That guided me during my eight years in the Maine Senate, and especially the last two years as President of the Senate. I’m proud of what we accomplished in terms of balancing the budget, cutting taxes, reducing debt, and passing historic regulatory reform to help small businesses and family farms. And I’m proud of how we did it – with strong bipartisan cooperation. My colleagues in the Senate voted me “Most likely to influence the other side of the aisle,” and that is the same constructive approach I will take to Washington.
What important life lessons have prepared you to serve in Washington, D.C.?
Growing up in a large family in an economically-disadvantaged rural area shaped my determination to change the dynamic that has resulted in our young people leaving for more prosperous states. My father was a World War II veteran and worked as an electrician. My mother was a school teacher for 38 years. Both of my parents worked hard and belonged to unions. They both taught me the value of hard work and education. Dad used to get up at quarter of four every morning to get ready for work, and I can remember Mom sitting at the kitchen table correcting papers and preparing lesson plans late into the night.
Their influence is with me every day. It’s why I feel so strongly about protecting veterans’ benefits, fighting for jobs and making sure education is always a priority. It guided my work in Augusta to encourage job creation through regulatory reform and lower taxes. And while other states were cutting education, it guided my determination to increase education funding by $63 million. My life lessons taught me the importance of setting priorities – which is something Washington simply does not do.
What is your greatest legislative achievement?
I count among my greatest achievements the change in law that shifted education funding to rural areas so unfairly disadvantaged by the flawed EPS funding formula, as well as my success in enacting policies that have created and preserved jobs such as my regulatory reform bill, my bill that saved the Woodland Pulp mill $1 million a month in energy costs and helped preserve 300-plus jobs, the changes I pushed through to spur jobs in Maine’s aviation sector, and the Maine New Markets Tax Credit that encourages investment in job creation in economically disadvantaged areas.
What is your biggest regret as a lawmaker?
My biggest regret is the Legislature’s passage of laws I opposed that imposed a flawed school district consolidation law and unfair funding formula that hurt rural Maine.
What do you think is your opponent’s greatest achievement in the U.S. House?
Congressman Michaud has done a great job being down in Washington to cast his votes in the House of Representatives.
What do you consider his greatest failure?
Congressman Michaud’s greatest failure is his failure to distinguish himself as a leader in Washington. In 2009 he was named by Roll Call as one of the “Ten Most Obscure Members of Congress.” With only two voices of 435 in the House of Representatives, Maine cannot afford to have a member who fails to live up to the standard set by Margaret Chase Smith, Ed Muskie, Bill Cohen, George Mitchell, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.
What would you list as the top threat to our nation’s future success?
Our greatest challenge is that we are on the verge of becoming the first generation of Americans to leave the country worse off than we found it because our massive $16 trillion national debt threatens future generations. Congress has failed to set priorities and balance the budget, and my opponent has repeatedly voted against a Constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget. We must not continue down this path to self-destruction.
What do you see as our greatest opportunity?
Throughout history, Americans have weathered adversity only to grow stronger. With strong and constructive leadership and a commitment to education and strong families, we can change the direction of this nation and unleash the potential of the American people by encouraging small business, our natural resource based industries, manufacturing and innovation in technology and health care. If we do that, I am convinced that America’s greatest days lie ahead of us.
