Just when you thought we were safe for a few months, Gov. Janet Mills has called a special election for June. As you likely noticed, Clint Collamore has resigned his seat in the Maine House due to allegations that he failed to comply with state law in qualifying for public funds to run his campaign last year.

Whenever we have a public official that has tested the public trust, I think we all tend to take a closer look at the candidates up to fill that seat. In this case, I’m all-in for Abden Simmons. Abden is a clammer from Waldoboro that also owns a bait shop.

In his service to the town of Waldoboro, Simmons helped start the Medomak Project, which is an effort to clean up the Medomak River. This project allowed for the opening of more than 300 acres of shellfish flats that had previously been contaminated and has also helped to bring the river back to place where folks are comfortable using those waters for recreational purposes.

Abden Simmons is one of us-a local guy that is willing to serve in public office for the right reasons. With so much of our economy dependent on the fruits of the ocean, I want someone in office that understands the needs of our fishermen and fishing families. Please join me in supporting Abden Simmons on June 13. 

Susan Szwed lives in Waldoboro