FRIENDSHIP — Representative Jeffrey Evangelos, I-Friendship, has registered with the Secretary of State's Office and the Maine Ethics Commission to run for re-election for Maine House of Representatives District 91. 

District 91 includes Friendship, Waldoboro, Washington, and west Union.

Rep. Evangelos registered with the Ethics Commission as a Clean Elections Candidate and will be seeking $5 contributions to that agency in his bid to qualify for the clean election program, a press release noted.

Rep. Evangelos once again signed the Ethics Commission's pledge adopting the Maine Code of Fair Campaign Practices.

“It's a great program, it keeps corporate money out of my campaign, and as always, I will run the same positive campaign that I have in the past,” said Rep. Evangelos in the release.

Rep. Evangelos has received confirmation from the Maine Secretary of State's Office he has qualified for the November ballot as an independent, per the release, which noted the Secretary of State certified 97 petition signatures Rep. Evangelos submitted in February.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with independents, Democrats, and Republicans all signing my petitions,” said Rep. Evangelos. 

Rep. Evangelos said in the release the current session of the legislature will continue to focus on finding ways and money to improve our roads and bridges, health care, and vastly expanding broadband access across our rural areas.

“I view broadband expansion much like President Franklin Roosevelt approached rural electrification in the 1930s-no winners and losers, everyone should be getting the same rights and service,” Rep. Evagenlos said. 

Evangelos indicated, in the release, he will continue to work to increase municipal revenue sharing, improving the Homestead Exemption, and increasing state aid to education, which should all contribute to lowering property taxes.

Rep. Evangelos is deeply concerned about the spread of the Coronavirus and the impact it will have on our health, our well being, and the obvious dramatic economic effects that will follow, the release noted.

“We must work together for the common good and adopt the same approach Franklin Roosevelt did in the 1930s when confronted by crisis and emulate our parent's response when confronted by polio in the 1950s,” he said in the release. “Unfortunately, neither major political party seems to have an FDR on the horizon, it's a real cause for worry. It won't be long before we're closing our schools and government offices and our transportation systems face curtailment. This is a real crisis and people need to take it seriously.”

Rep. Evangelos stated in the release “the Legislature is facing four historic challenges, all of which are being heard in the Judiciary Committee where I serve: the Equal Rights Amendment for Women, Native American sovereignty for our 4 tribes, reform of the indigent legal defense system guaranteeing that everyone receives a fair trial regardless of their means, and post-conviction reform which will provide a fairer pathway for exonerating the innocent.”

Calling each of the four historic issues in the release, Rep. Evangelos said: “Seriously folks, here we are in 2020 still arguing about equal rights for women and our tribal brothers and sisters. These reforms are long overdue.” 

Rep. Evangelos noted in the release “a variety of high octane issues will also permeate the state's politics this year inside and outside the legislature.” 

“First, we must act to protect the lobster industry from unreasonable regulations, as that industry is the engine of our local economy,” he said. “NOAA has admitted that the Maine lobster fleet has never harmed a whale. They have absolutely no case and I intend to fight against their unfounded proposals.

“Second, I will continue to fight against Central Maine Power and their corrupt billing system that has victimized thousands of Mainers. I am also going to vote against the power corridor in western Maine. The people in those small towns don't want it, they've voted against it locally, and democracy must rule. I expect the power line will go down to a resounding defeat at referendum. Seriously folks, can you imagine if Maine discovered a power source, ran it through the beautiful Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, and wanted to take a left turn on up to Maine. What would Massachusetts say? They'd laugh us right out of the ball park. We're being played for suckers, that's for sure.

“Is there one other thing I'm worried about in 2020? Sure, it's blatantly obvious, the vitriol that will accompany the upcoming presidential election. It could serve to divide us as people as we've never seen since the 1860s. It's not a good omen and I will urge all sides to remain civil.”