State House District 130 race

Incumbent Democrat Lynn Copeland is facing competition from Republican Ted Sirois for the State House District 130, covering part of Saco.

The candidates, in alphabetical order.

 Lynn Copeland, 64, has served in the legislature for two terms, and is a former Saco city councilor.

She is the former chairwoman of the Saco Conservation Commission, has participated in multiple clean ups and plantings around Saco and at the beach and was vice president of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club. She was also a Girl Scout leader for nine years and served as a board member of Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine.

“As the incumbent candidate, I am a proven leader with experience navigating state government. I have built strong bipartisan relationships and tap into the many state resources available to solve problems with my community’s interest at heart and to move Maine forward. With my experience as a Saco City Councilor, I understand the serious issues facing our community,” she said. “It is important for young people to feel connected to their communities, with the added benefit that many will remain contributing members in Maine, once they graduate. My experience as a foster parent over 11 years has informed many of my votes supporting Maine youth.”

Copeland said if re-elected her top priority would be to ratify the ERA in Maine. In doing so she would work to protect women’s rights to make decisions about their own bodies, ensure Mainers are not discriminated against because of their gender, race, or who they love; ensure workers are respected, reduce the income divide, and ensure women are not only paid the same for the same work as men, but also have insurance and a good work/life balance.

She said, if re-elected, she will continue to support and work on legislation resolving the barriers to building housing so working Mainers can have decent housing, and would continue to work to keep our communities safe by requiring gun owners to handle and store weapons responsibly.

 Theodore “Ted” Sirois, 69, and married with four children. He has served on the Saco School Board and the Saco Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

His community service includes serving as treasurer of American Legion Post 22, treasurer of Vietnam Veterans of America Post 1044, an election worker for the City of Saco, a member of Saco Bay Trails, and a member of the Maine Old Cemetery Association.

He said if elected, he would utilize the skills he learned as a retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and retired equipment technician at Texas Instruments and through obtaining a Master’s degree in education.

“Priority one (if elected) is to bring back and pass the senior property tax freeze, scheduled increases in the homestead exemption, and limit property tax increases to average income growth.  All these proposals were voted down by our current Democrat controlled Administration,” he said. “Secondly, I would try to fix Maine’s current failing educational system where reading and writing skills have plummeted from 19th to 43rd under our current administration.”

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