A piece of negative mail was recently sent out against Chip Curry’s opponent in the Waldo County Senate Race. Chip immediately emailed his supporters to say that he neither authorized nor condoned the mailing that slammed his opponent for being “from away”. Chip’s response to the mailer was thoughtful, gracious, and on point. I would like to share some of Chip’s letter here:

The effort by the MDP to "help" by sending a negative mailer is not at all in keeping with the commitment we have always held to run a positive campaign. And we continue this commitment.

The truth is, my opponent recently moved to Waldo County after retiring from military service. Having worked with AmeriCorps and advised numerous veterans as well as active duty members of the National Guard, I am deeply appreciative of those who serve this nation. I am also particularly sensitive to the from-away bias that we often see here…  By 2030 Maine needs approximately 75,000 more people in the workforce. Our own economic vitality requires us to be more welcoming - not less so. Our sense of decency requires it, as well.

I think that Mr. Curry’s comment about a sense of decency is particularly apt in the current climate of negativity and name calling. I applaud Chip for speaking out on Mr. Milnes behalf – I just wish that stories about this had recognized Curry’s gracious and positive response instead of focusing only on the negative.

Gianne Conard lives in Belfast