As a former state senator from Oxford County, I am pleased to endorse Joe Martin for state Senate this year.

A long-time job creator in the Rumford area, Martin has deep family roots in this county. His father was a physician who delivered 2,800 babies locally; his grandfather cut hair for 45 years in the area; and his great-grandfather was a mason who laid the foundations for the paper mills.

As chairman of the Maine Republican Party, I am proud to have people like Martin running under the party’s banner. He will represent everyone in Oxford County, not just those in his party. He will work to make Western Maine prosperous for all.

Joe Martin understands that a public office is a public trust. As state senator, he will honor that trust as he works for a healthy economy with fresh, sensible solutions to the challenges that confront Maine.

Richard Bennett, Oxford