My name is Abden Simmons, and I’m a lifelong fisherman. In just a few short days, there will be an election on June 13, and I need something important from you — your vote. Many individuals from Friendship, Washington, Bremen, Louds Island Township, and Waldoboro are telling me they need a hard-working voice in the Maine House of Representatives, but before voting for me, let me tell you a little bit about my background.

Since 1996, my wife and I have owned a shellfish dealership in Waldoboro. I make my living from the sea, and I will do everything I can to protect our way of life here on the coast. Here in this area, we all feel the same frustrations that involve the seafood industry, and you can be sure I will help lawmakers from other parts of the state understand what keeps us up at night.

As the chair of the Waldoboro Shellfish Committee for 25 years, l know that being involved is the only way we can fight back against the power brokers who would shut us down. With my eight years as a Waldoboro Selectman and my time serving in the Maine House of Representatives from 2016 to 2018, I have learned that hard work and honesty bring people together.

There are also many other issues the state needs to tackle. For example, look at our education system. Maine kids’ test scores have dropped like a rock in recent years, which will have a serious impact on their prospects and hurt our economy for years. We need to fix this. Parents are not the enemy; we need more involved in the classroom. Parents are saying we need to focus more on teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic, so let’s listen, work together, and make sure things improve.

When I worked with a broad group on the Medomak Project, we accomplished its twin goals of restoring river health and limiting fishing closures. It’s a strong example of what happens when differing interests work together on a complex problem, and that’s the way I approach the work that needs to get done in Augusta.

We all know many members in our poor community who occasionally need a little help. As I served on the Waldoboro Select Board, we rolled up our sleeves with the community navigator in the town office to help residents to connect to resources. In the first year of the program, over 150 families were assisted, including some who avoided losing their homes. We’re also working to help our seniors – I’m proud to be involved with Volunteers of America’s plans to turn the former A.D. Gray School into affordable senior housing.

Now that you have a sense of how I find solutions, fight for our community, work together to solve complex problems, understand our coastal economy, and value our way of life, I’d like to ask you to vote for me to serve as a state representative again in Augusta. Early voting has already started or, if you prefer, mark your calendar to vote in person on Tuesday, June 13.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Abden Simmons: abden1971@gmail.com