I’m a Democrat running to be your next State Representative because I believe a better future is possible—for all. And we need experienced leaders who will fight for that better future with everything they’ve got.  

I was raised by my grandma, who came of age during the Great Depression and World War II. She raised me on her Social Security check, and she instilled in me New Deal values of hard work, fairness, and a deep understanding that we’re all in this together. When she passed away, it was my public schools and my teachers that created the safe, nurturing, supportive place I needed to escape a dangerous home environment and gain the confidence that I could create a better future for myself. 

I’ve spent my career fighting for the values my grandma raised me with and for every kid to have the same great public schools I had.  I’ve led on our school board, as Chair of the Five Towns CSD School Board and a member of the Camden-Rockport Schools School Board, with a focus on what our students and educators need to succeed while being fair to taxpayers.

During my time on the Board, we created the state’s first nature-based pre-K, expanded outdoor and project-based learning, introduced universal pre-K, fought for housing solutions, and became one of the first high schools in the state to go phone-free.

My Board leadership also included oversight of multi-million-dollar budgets, infrastructure projects, negotiating staff contracts, leading through crises and contentious moments, and being responsive to constituents.  I’ve led in state government at the Maine Department of Education, championing investments in our schools and empowering teachers.

I know how to navigate state agencies and government to serve the people of Camden and Rockport and get you what you need.  I’ve led alongside people like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Nobel prize-winning economist Joe Stigltiz at the Roosevelt Institute, championing policies to rewrite the rules of our economy to benefit all people and not just the wealthy and big corporations.  

I’ve led in the labor movement, fighting alongside working people at the American Federation of Teachers and Service Employees International Union to secure better wages, benefits, and working conditions, and pass the Affordable Care Act, Wall Street Reform, and other consequential legislation.  

And as the owner of a small consulting firm helping unions and nonprofits drive change, I know what it’s like to have a small business and navigate healthcare and other challenges.  I haven’t just talked about the issues making it harder and harder for working people and small businesses to get by, I’ve spent my career championing a better life for people.  I’ll do the same in the Legislature.  

I love our community. This is my chosen home, and my partner and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. But we know it’s getting harder and harder for people to afford life here. We see it in our schools, with declining student enrollment not because people don’t love our schools but because people can’t afford to move here or start a family in our area. It’s one of the reasons I’m running for State House, so I can be part of solutions to reverse this trend.  

As your Representative, I’ll fight every day to make life more affordable for you, to strengthen our schools, to support the small businesses that power our communities, and to defend our freedoms against the attacks coming from Washington.  

That means creating a public healthcare option in Maine, holding big healthcare and insurance companies, using that state’s purchasing power to reduce drug costs, and getting AI out of the business of deciding if your insurance claim is approved or if you can get preauthorized for a procedure your doctor says is necessary.

I’ll ensure the Maine Public Utilities Commission rejects unfair rate increases and advocates for consumers.

I’ll work to expand the homestead exemption, update funding formulas that penalize the Midcoast, and ask those who are fortunate enough to own second or third homes in our state to chip in more so we can provide property tax relief to those of us who live here year-round.

And I’ll push to continue to make Maine a leader on renewable energy and invest in our coastal infrastructure.  

Housing is an issue that comes up in every conversation I have. It’s a challenge I’ve already led on. I helped lead the effort to transform the Elm St School into housing for teachers, since new staff were facing challenges finding housing in our area. Unfortunately, we hit a wall at every turn, other officials caused costs delays on the project, and we couldn’t access funding for housing as a school district. We need to find a way to get to yes on innovative solutions to housing.

After this experience, I worked with a legislator to pass a bill making it easier for municipalities to access funding for similar projects.  I’ve spent this campaign meeting with town officials, realtors, developers, and nonprofits about housing and will continue to bring them together to develop solutions for our area, including increasing state investment in infrastructure, creating additional funding streams, streamlining zoning and approvals, helping towns adapt state legislation to meet their needs, approving innovative housing and development solutions, and looking at incentives for landlords who agree to rent to people year-round at an affordable rate.  

I’m focused on solutions for today that will create a better tomorrow.

You can learn more about my plans on my website MarcusForMaine.com.  This is a make-or-break moment for so many of the things we care about. We need someone in this role who can get results. I have the leadership and experience to deliver for you starting on day one.  

 I hope I can count on your vote on June 9. 

Marcus Mrowka lives in Camden and seeks to be the Democratic nominee to run for the Maine Legislature as representative for District 41, Camden and Rockport.