| Joanne Cole |
Summer may be lingering but campaign signs sprouting up in front yards signal unmistakably that the fall election season and voting on November 8 aren’t far off.
New this year but less apparent are the contours of the districts that local candidates are vying to represent. As a result of increases and shifts in population reflected in the 2020 Census, Maine’s legislative district boundaries (and Congressional ones) were re-drawn in 2021 to ensure equivalent population numbers from district to district.
States differ in how they carry out this re-apportionment, but in Maine a bipartisan advisory commission got the job done and maps re-drawn for our 151 House Districts and 35 Senate Districts – all approved by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor, just under the deadline in September 2021.
The new maps change both the House and Senate districts in which New Gloucester falls for the 2022 election and beyond. New House District 104 sees us paired with part of Gray, a natural combination given the two towns’ long collaboration and shared school district. Previously, New Gloucester was aligned with part of Poland as House District 65. Now most of Poland joins Mechanic Falls in District 87, but Poland also has a sliver in District 86 alongside Casco and Raymond. See the veritable jigsaw puzzle of new House districts on the map at this link.
On the Senate map, newcomer Durham joins New Gloucester, Poland and Auburn in a freshly configured Senate District 20. Current District 20 towns Minot and Mechanic Falls move into a sprawling expanse of hill and lake towns reaching to the New Hampshire border, a new District 18. See a map of the Senate districts here.
As for the candidates running to represent New Gloucester and these reconfigured districts, new and familiar faces are in the mix. Running for the House District 104 seat are Amy Arata and Anne Gass:
Amy Arata, of New Gloucester, is running as a Republican. She is currently serving a second term in the House, following elections in 2018 and 2020. Learn more about her background, experience and campaign on her Facebook page “Amy B. Arata – Maine House”.
Anne Gass, of Gray, is running as an Independent. She recently completed a term on the Gray Town Council. Learn more about her background, experience and campaign at her website https://anne-gass.org/ and on her Facebook page “Anne Gass – House District 104”.
In Senate District 20, current Senator Ned Claxton is not seeking re-election; his term will end in December. Stepping up and earning their parties’ nominations are former state legislators Eric Brakey and Bettyann Sheats:
Eric Brakey, of Auburn, is running as a Republican. He served two terms in the Maine Senate, following elections in 2014 and 2016. Learn more about his background, experience and campaign at his website https://www.brakeyforsenate.com/ and his Facebook page “Eric Brakey for Maine Senate”.
Bettyann Sheats, also of Auburn, is running as a Democrat. She served two terms in the Maine House, following elections in 2016 and 2018. Learn more about her background, experience and campaign at her website https://bettyannformaine.mainecandidates.com and on her Facebook page “Bettyann Sheats for Maine State Senate”.
As campaign season heats up, expect to see not only more campaign signs in New Gloucester but also some different names in the towns around, as Maine’s redistricting comes to life on the ground.
