Potatoes and politics: Senate District 34

Other stories in this series:

A look at the candidates and issues in Northern Maine; Senate District 35; Senate District 34; Two College Republicans; Adam Cote spotting;  Splitting the electoral votes

In the second-northernmost district, it’s incumbent vs. incumbent. Current Rep. Jackie Lundeen, D-Mars Hill, is challenging incumbent Roger Sherman, R-Houlton.

Lundeen, a family farmer, has served in the House for four years. Sherman has served one term in the Senate, and previously spent four terms in the House.

Lundeen said she was born and raised in The County. She’s farmed there for 40 years and her children are still in the area.

She said she would like to promote business in The County as a means of keeping the young and the educated in town.

Also, “Our natural resources – we’re not promoting them to the fullest extent,” Lundeen said.

Lundeen serves on the IFW and Agriculture committees, and has sponsored a number of environmental bills.

Sherman also said his biggest interest is preserving the area’s agricultural and natural resources. For him, it’s about being recognized.

“We have $100 million in potato crop investments, and (in the Legislature) it’s treated like a step child,” he said.

Also, like most Republicans, Sherman said the area could benefit from a decrease in regulations and taxes. To accomplish the latter, Sherman said, he’d like to enlarge the Office of Program Evaluation and Governmental Accountability and allow them to comb over every state department and expenditure for spending cuts.

Last session, Sherman championed a bill to establish the Northern Maine Power Agency and helped add seats for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians to the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission. He is on the Agriculture and Criminal Justice committees.

Video: Sherman talks about his race