To say this year has been abnormal is the understatement of the decade. It’s easy to see all the ways this pandemic has been difficult. It was a trying time for many reasons with uncertainty, frustration, and fear. As the months have passed, I’ve tried to balance the difficulties by reflecting on opportunistic benefits. One notable silver lining was getting to spend two months during the pandemic in the Midcoast, a rare sustained period with my parents as an adult after a decade living away.

Spending time with parents as an adult can have its difficulties. Parents hold onto memories of the child you were, and kids have an unshakable habit of not staying kids they once were. But getting to witness my father, Senator Dave Miramant, as an adult, instilled in me newfound respect, particularly during this trying time. I have always admired my father’s integrity, grit, and leadership, but it’s rare you get to witness these traits during the day-to-day. 

Every day, my father juggled constituent phone calls, emails, and invaluable errands that had an incredible impact on the lives of each person in need of clarity, support, and leadership in the face of uncertainty. I rode along with my father as he dropped off medicine to at-risk neighbors and fixed water heaters. I watched him sit on phone calls for hours to help constituents navigate confusing unemployment benefits.

It’s vogue to denigrate elected officials and government, and perhaps much of this criticism is warranted, but we also need to speak up for what we want in our leaders. My dad has served as our State Senator for District 12 for six years. As a leader who cares about impact, not politics, he’s worked as a lead sponsor of over 60 bipartisan bills and co-sponsored hundreds more, making meaningful differences for the State and our community. I hope you will speak up for good governance by re-electing my father, Dave Miramant. Please cast your supporting vote on November 3. 

Josh Miramant lives in New York, New York