To our small business owners, union members, educators, first responders, veterans, and community leaders, thank you for showing up. You’re all the heartbeat of this district, and you’re why I’m standing here tonight.
It was here, seven years ago, that some of you in this room took a leap of faith. You nominated me as a replacement candidate for a seat I hadn’t planned to run for. I had no idea what I was getting into. I just knew people deserved someone who would show up, listen, and fight for them. And I knew this district should have a choice — not just one name on the ballot.
From that moment on, I’ve done what Mainers do best: learned on the job, shown up early, and left things better than I found them.
Because, here’s the thing: in Maine, showing up still means something. It’s how trust is built, how problems get solved, and how progress starts. But let’s be honest. For far too long, government hasn’t been listening. We are tired of being talked at. Tired of promises that sound good but don’t change anything back home.
Let’s name what’s really happening: the distrust in government, the rise of extremism — it didn’t appear out of nowhere. It grew in the silence left by complacency and the vacuum left by privileged politicians who have failed to connect with the American people.
I believe government is a place where we come together to find solutions. I believe government can work when elected officials work for the people. With the chaos and division around us, I can’t sit still. I believe there is a better way. I know I’m the kind of leader to help get us there.
I got to this moment. This choice. This announcement. To run for Congress, by doing what I always do: the next right thing, one decision at a time, taking my own inventory along the way.
I wanted to stand here before you with both resolve and clarity — about what this is, and what it’s not.
This isn’t a campaign against anyone. It’s a campaign for something. For Maine’s future. For the next generation. For a government that listens first and acts second. Because the postcard platforms and clickbait talking points have gotten us here — where our kids are leaving, families are priced out, seniors are struggling, and small businesses are tangled in red tape. This campaign is for changing that.
When I first walked into the State House, I didn’t come with a script. I came with a notebook.
And over four terms, I’ve had the privilege to chair committees that touch nearly every corner of Maine’s economy — from our farms and fisheries to small businesses, housing, and innovation.
And everywhere I’ve served, I’ve seen the same truth: the answers are out there, if we’re humble enough to listen to the people living the problems. While I may not have all the answers, I’ve learned and have some ideas.
When I chaired Innovation and Economic Development, I saw that Maine’s heritage industries — fishing, forestry, and manufacturing — don’t need saving; they need upgrading. We can take the same ingenuity that built this state and use it to build what’s next. New technologies, new markets, new ways to make a living without leaving your hometown. That’s how we create next-generation jobs that keep our kids here and bring our families back home.
And I’ll be honest, my kids are grown and no longer live here. Not for lack of me trying.
That reality fuels me. Because no parent should have to watch their children leave the state they love just to make a living.
And when the supply chains broke during the pandemic, I learned something else: If you can’t control where your goods come from, you can’t control your future. We can bring production home — to our ports, our mills, our makers — so Maine isn’t waiting on a boat halfway around the world to keep shelves stocked or projects moving. That’s economic resilience, and it’s national security, too.
And then there’s what I call economic dignity—the space between paychecks where most of us actually live. For years as a single mom of three, every month was a math problem and a judgment call: which bill gets paid, which one waits. So when I talk about lowering drug costs, holding utilities accountable, or cutting middle-class taxes, I’m not speaking in theory.
I’ve lived that reality. The one where you lie awake, wondering if you made the right call and waiting for the next shoe to drop. Because dignity isn’t about wealth, it’s about stability. Knowing you won’t get priced out of your own life.
And we can’t forget the backbone of it all, our small businesses and labor. I built my business from a pc on a desk wedged into what was supposed to be the den-slash-playroom. So I know small business owners don’t need a parade. They just need a fair shot. We can modernize outdated loan programs, connect small businesses with local colleges for tech and research support, and keep that innovation rooted in Maine soil.
And when it comes to our workforce, we need to stop pretending every young person’s path looks the same. All three of my sons took different paths — different from mine, different from Jeff’s — and we all ended up where we belonged. It should be easier than it is. We can invest in apprenticeships, trades, and community college programs that actually match what employers need, so kids can build their future here, not feel like they have to leave to find one.
And as we build that future, we need a government that can keep up. One that fights for every federal dollar, every infrastructure grant, every broadband mile, and still protects the rights that make us who we are. Of course, there are shared values I will always stand up for — protecting voting rights, reproductive freedom, equality, and justice. That’s not my platform; that’s just part of who I am. Because a strong economy and a strong democracy depend on each other.
I’ve also learned to recognize when patchwork state laws — on issues like consumer protection and professional licensing — are really signs that we need federal solutions. And I’m ready to take those on.
So, why now? Because the world is changing faster than ever. And with all respect to those who’ve served a long time, if you remember when TV turned to color, you’ve already lived through a revolution. But the next one — AI, automation, and how technology will reshape every job and every industry — is already here. And if Maine doesn’t have a seat at that table, we’re gonna be on the menu. We need leadership that understands both where we’ve been and where we’re going, with both feet still planted firmly in Maine’s reality.
So tonight isn’t about slogans or soundbites. It’s about a promise. That I’ll bring your voices directly from Maine to Washington, and make sure they’re heard. Together, we’ll build a future that’s fair, functional, and firmly rooted in the values that make Maine who we are: hard work, honesty, and community. Respect. Responsibility. Results. That’s how I’ve led in Augusta. That’s how I’ll lead in Congress.
And we start tomorrow. I’m launching a “Six Counties in Six Weeks” tour, spending a week in each county in Maine’s First District — listening, holding town halls, walking shop floors, and sitting around kitchen tables. But as much as I like to think I can do this work myself, I have to be realistic. We need you — volunteers, hosts, community partners — to make sure we’re listening in every corner of this district.
And yes, campaigns cost money. I wish they didn’t. But tonight, I’m asking you to help us build this movement, not for me, but for what’s next. Every dollar goes toward staff, field offices, outreach, and making sure Maine’s voice is heard loud and clear.
So thank you for showing up tonight, for bringing essentials for our neighbors, and for believing that progress still starts the Maine way: One conversation, one action, one neighbor at a time.
Let’s get to work — together.
