Name:

Charles Dingman

Email address

charles@dingman.org

Party affiliation

Democratic Party

Legislative chamber

Maine House

Legislative district

75

Occupation or primary source of income

Lawyer

Community organizations

SAD 52 school board, 1983-2003, board president for 17 years; moderator, Leeds annual town meetings moderator; Leeds Community Church, active member and ordained elder; Maine Equal Justice Partners Board of Directors, 2003-2014; Campaign for Justice, fundraising volunteer; Justice Action Group, board member

Personal information (hobbies, activities etc.)

I enjoy spending time with my grandchildren, ages 4 1/2 and almost 2. I love to hike and climb our tall peaks, and to photograph them as I go. I’ve summited all 67 “4,000-footer” peaks in New England, and so far have climbed 50 of them in winter.

Family status

Married to Jane Virginia Souza Dingman, 5 children, 2 grandchildren

Years in Legislature

0

Are you a Clean Election candidate?

Yes

Committee assignments you want

Appropriations and Financial Affairs; Health and Human Services; Education and Cultural Affairs; Energy, Utilities and Technology; Taxation; Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development; Judiciary; Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Would you support expanding the state’s Medicaid program, MaineCare? Why or why not?

Yes. Providing affordable, quality health care coverage to more Mainers is a win-win. Workers and families would be healthier and more productive. Private insurance would become more affordable over time. Accepting federal funds to cover more Mainers would create 3,000 new jobs and add over $300 million to our economy.

Should Maine follow the city of Portland’s lead and legalize the possession of limited amounts of marijuana for adults over the age of 21? Why or why not?

Our historical experience with Prohibition teaches that criminalizing recreational intoxicants can promote dangerous crimes and drive economic activity underground. Even so, changing the current prohibition of marijuana must be done thoughtfully to protect children and respect the proper role of the federal government in regulating both medicines and recreational intoxicants.

Should the state of Maine continue to provide incentives for businesses and homeowners to convert or diversify energy sources to those considered renewable, like solar, wind and geothermal?

Maine values and must protect its environmental quality and mitigate climate change, but our economy also needs access to lower cost energy. We need policies and incentives carefully tuned to balance and, where possible, harmonize these potentially competing objectives. Energy conservation technology can play an important part in doing so.

Maine’s minimum wage is $7.50 an hour. As a state lawmaker would you support increasing that minimum wage? If so, what should Maine’s minimum wage be?

No person’s full-time labor should be worth less than the cost of staying alive, warm, and healthy, and providing for one’s children. I support gradually increasing the minimum wage to $10.10, with on-the-job training and other assistance to small businesses so that the changes will not jeopardize their viability.

What issue is the most important to voters in your legislative district?

Economic insecurity, both for seniors on a fixed income and for workers who can’t get a full-time job or who need better-paying jobs. We need an economy that works for everyone, not just a fortunate few. Health security and educational opportunity are among the keys to getting us there.

What about you makes you the man or woman for the job?

35 years of law practice inside and outside Maine government, 20 years of school board service, and countless years moderating town meetings have taught me how to listen closely, find common ground, and solve problems by working together. With these skills I can represent my neighbors effectively in Augusta.

Describe yourself in a “Tweet”

Love where I live! It’s a privilege & an inspiration to listen to so many neighbors this year! I’d work hard for you at the State House.

Name:

Jeffrey Timberlake

Email address

jtimberlake_us@yahoo.com

Party affiliation

Republican

Legislative chamber

Maine House

Legislative district

75

Occupation or primary source of income

Farmer and businessman

Community organizations

37 years as a volunteer firefighter; Masonic Lodge, Kora Shrine; Farm Bureau Basketball assistant coach for third and fourth grade; Sportsmans Alliance of Maine; National Rifle Association

Personal information (hobbies, activities etc.)

Grandchildren, golf, hunting, fishing and farming

Family status

Married

Years in Legislature

4

Are you a Clean Election candidate?

No

Committee assignments you want

Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; Transportation.

Would you support expanding the state’s Medicaid program, MaineCare? Why or why not?

I voted against Medicaid expansion. It is not right to expand medical welfare for able-bodied adults when we need our resources (taxpayer dollars) for the elderly and disabled who really need the help.

Should Maine follow the city of Portland’s lead and legalize the possession of limited amounts of marijuana for adults over the age of 21? Why or why not?

I am against the legalization of marijuana, but this is America so I would support sending the question out to the voters and giving the people the chance to decide.

Should the state of Maine continue to provide incentives for businesses and homeowners to convert or diversify energy sources to those considered renewable, like solar, wind and geothermal?

Yes. I think it is important that you always look for alternative energy sources. As long as the payback outlasts the cost. I think it should be put more into the private sector than into the expansion of government.

Maine’s minimum wage is $7.50 an hour. As a state lawmaker would you support increasing that minimum wage? If so, what should Maine’s minimum wage be?

I am against raising the minimum wage. Raising the minimum wage hurts small businesses and makes it harder for people to find jobs, especially teens and people seeking entry-level jobs, or jobs in new fields. It’s one of those things that sounds good on the surface, but has negative effects.

What issue is the most important to voters in your legislative district?

Making sure Maine’s hard-working families don’t have to struggle so much to make ends meet. There are many ways to approach this, but I truly believe lowering the tax burden will bring more jobs to the state, and make it easier for folks to support themselves overall.

What about you makes you the man or woman for the job?

My whole life I’ve never shied away from hard work, and that includes the work I do in Augusta. We’ve made progress in turning state government around, but there’s still more to be done. I’m eager to keep working to bring more opportunity to Maine for you and your family.

Describe yourself in a “Tweet”

Hardworking Maine farmer who loves family, friends, and community and wants the best for Maine people.

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