Ned Claxton has an answer to polarization in politics. He won’t engage in defense of ideological positions. Instead, he will work against that very idea by listening — a skill that has served him well as a family doctor and one sorely needed in Augusta.

In a time of political rancor, listening is a necessary and powerful skill for uncovering common ground. Claxton will employ that skill with deftness and as a process that will result in more voices at the table, thus better representation for all communities and the state of Maine.

Douglas Smith, New Gloucester