Kenneth Blow announces candidacy for House District 131

Kenneth Blow, a local business owner and Old Orchard Beach Town Councilor, is running as an Independent for the State House District 131 seat, serving Old Orchard Beach.

He made the announcement in an April 7 press release.

Running as an unenrolled candidate, Blow said he plans to fund a traditional campaign without accepting outside donations. He said as an Independent, he will prioritize representing the community over politics.

“I don’t believe we need to be taking sides and pointing fingers at each other,” Blow said. “That’s what’s happening now in Augusta, and it’s not helping hard-working families who are struggling just to pay their bills.”

Blow, 63, has served 13 years on the Old Orchard Beach Town Council and 10 years on the Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Transit District board. His additional service includes time on the Maine Water Advisory Board, five years as president of the Libby Memorial Library Board, and two years on the Old Orchard Beach Planning Board. He was also recently appointed by York County Sheriff William King to the Board of Visitors, a citizen oversight committee for the sheriff’s department.

Blow is also a business owner. Alongside his brothers, and partners, Archie and Paul St. Hilaire, he helped grow Blow Bros./BBI from a small, family-run operation into a company with multiple locations across Maine and New Hampshire, employing more than 120 people. He now owns and operates Seacoast RV in Saco.

He said not many politicians know how difficult it is to run a business in Maine or lie awake at night worrying about making payroll.

He said he has been fortunate, and his hard work has paid off, but he knows what it’s like to struggle and live paycheck to paycheck. As a child his family relied on food assistance, he said.

Blow said its getting harder and harder for people to make ends meet as state spending and taxes increase.

“It seems like some lawmakers never met a tax they didn’t like,” he said. “They’re always finding new ways to dig deeper into people’s pockets—even taxing things like streaming services that families rely on for affordable entertainment.”

Blow said he was proud of the strong performance of Old Orchard Beach schools but concerned about declining test scores statewide and funding formulas that disadvantage communities with higher property values.

“Bottom line—we need change in Augusta,” he said. “We need common-sense leadership. I believe I’m the right person for the job, and I’m going to work hard to show our community there’s a better way forward.”

Saco Bay News Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.