Peter Jenks, of Thomaston, announced Dec. 5 that he is running for Maine House District 43 (Cushing, parts of Owls Head, St. George and Thomaston).

 He wrote the following:

I am running to help address serious needs in our state: the high cost of living, the lack of affordable housing, and the challenges to keep quality healthcare and education in our region. 

I have lived in Thomaston for over 30 years, raised my children here and have been dedicated to finding ways to strengthen and improve our community.

I recently retired from being the priest at the Episcopal Church in Thomaston, which I served since 1992.  I have been a volunteer firefighter, police chaplain and town moderator. I was one of the founders of the Trekkers program, I have run the 4th of July Parade in Thomaston, served on many boards and community agencies.

I have been in a number of shows with the Watts Hall players and Chambre Theatre of Maine and served on the board of the DaPonte String Quartet.

My wife, Emily, and I have five children and seven grandchildren.

Emily ran the Rockland School of Ballet for over 30 years. Seeing my grandchildren sometimes have the same teachers that my children had has deeply rooted me to this region.  I graduated from the University of the South in Tennessee and the General Theological Seminary in NYC. 

We are facing dynamic challenges that need serious and creative solutions.

Since the pandemic we have been witnessing population changes and more seasonal housing and less affordable housing for working families. With the divisiveness in politics and the severe cuts to healthcare and emergency services we will have to find ways to move ahead with determination and new ways to accomplish things. 

The divisiveness and rage of the current political environment is not helping to solve problems nor to support our community.  I have been working with people with a wide range of political, religious, regional, and personal differences for years. 

Rapidly changing and profoundly transformative technological advancements are challenging us as never before. The rise of AI and social media have opened problems that need creative solutions and clear guardrails.

Technologies, though sometimes wonderful, also bring unintended consequences.  We need to be more proactive in addressing the threats, rather than waiting for people to be harmed before addressing problems.

I am a progressive Democrat. 

The needs of our young people and support for our local schools, housing and keeping quality health care in our local area are key issues for me.

I support the drive to focus primarily on local businesses, schools, arts, religion, and sport as vital to our well-being, and not just accept the lower costs of national and international corporations that undermine the local economy and way of life.

I support seeking the common good of all and not just a few, from those who are native to this region to those who have immigrated here, whether it be last week or 300 years ago.

I want to learn from professionals that have essential knowledge to address our problems, such as scientists, doctors, and engineers, and not just personal opinions. 

The effects of larger issues such as climate change and the wealth disparity need to be addressed as to how they are affecting our state.

Good politics is getting people together who disagree or who have differing interests and together find ways to maintain, improve and strengthen the community. It is not about ideologies and intransigent opinions.

I’m always willing to listen and work with anyone, even if we hold fundamental differences. Housing, health care, education, utilities, insurance costs, and safety affect us all. We have more in common with other than we realize.

We may need to make structural changes if we want to thrive and have an affordable life in Maine It’s time for big and creative ideas, not small steps to maintain where we were in the past.

I am running not to promote my own agenda, but to support the well-being of our community.