BANGOR, Maine — A long-practicing local lawyer is vying to represent residents of Bangor and Hermon in the state Senate, with the backing of Maine’s governor.
N. Laurence Willey Jr., a Republican, announced his candidacy for the District 9 state Senate seat Wednesday afternoon on the steps of Bangor City Hall. At his side was two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
The governor said Willey has “a head for business and a heart for people.”
Willey is running against two-term incumbent Democrat Geoffrey Gratwick, a physician who spent nine years on the Bangor City Council before running for state office.
“Maine is in a state of decline,” Willey, also a former Bangor city councilor, said in announcing his candidacy. “I have a plan for getting us back on track. We need to cut unnecessary spending and balance the state budget. We need to create new jobs that allow people to make a decent living without making them or their employers pay inflated taxes. We need to make sure we can take care of those who raised us and fought for us, while taking care of those who cannot care for themselves.”
In the early 1990s, Willey was a member of a citizen commission organized by then-Gov. John McKernan to explore ways to restructure state government. Few changes resulted from that commission’s work, but Willey has kept the push alive, dusting off the report in 2010, promoting the recommendations on the steps of Bangor City Hall.
Earlier this year, in advance of his candidacy, Willey reintroduced an 80-page update of those reform suggestions. Among them:
— Reduce the size of the Maine Legislature to a unicameral, 70-member Senate, and limit it to one meeting per week.
— Consolidate state departments, including the Maine Department of Transportation and Turnpike Authority.
— Eliminate the University of Maine System chancellor’s office and replace it with a board of campus presidents.
— Increase penalties for convicted drug traffickers and spread methadone and Suboxone treatment into rural areas.
“We need to take a stand against big government,” Willey said. “We need to stop spending and start pursuing opportunities that will create growth. We need to build strong families and strong communities. We need to make a change in Augusta.”
LePage has a strong reason to back Willey. Four Republican senators who could have run for re-election have chosen not to do so. Although three are from districts that have voted Republican in recent elections, the possibility of losing seats raises the stakes for the GOP in other races. If the Senate swings back to Democratic control, it would effectively thwart LePage as he seeks to cement his legacy during his final two years in office.
The governor has long criticized Democrats in the Legislature for blocking initiatives he supported. He recently called the 127th Legislature the worst since he became governor, though he acknowledged it did make some progress on welfare reform and addiction treatment.
“He’s fighting against the tide with these people,” Willey said.
Gratwick regularly supports initiatives that the governor opposes, notably Medicaid expansion.
Gratwick said via email on Wednesday that he strives to work across the aisle and avoid “partisan bickering,” which is why voters should continue to support him.
“I have been known to be an independent thinker that gets results for the people of Bangor and Hermon,” he said. “I am running again to bring that balanced approach back to Augusta.
“I have a plan to reinforce our economy with jobs that pay fair, livable wages for everyday Mainers,” he added. “It’s time for the economy to work for everybody, not just the wealthy. It’s time for tax cuts for everyday Mainers, not just the top 1 percent. Those who make money in Maine should pay taxes in Maine and not be able to shelter their earnings elsewhere.”
Gratwick has been involved in two of the most expensive Maine Senate races in history, mostly because outside groups have targeted the race and spent a lot of money to try to influence the outcome. His win over Republican Nichi Farnham in 2012 helped Democrats regain control of the Senate that year.
Even if it does not determine control of the incoming Senate, a GOP win in this district would be a symbolic victory for LePage and the wing of the party he commands.
LePage took no questions from the media at Wednesday’s event.
Follow Nick McCrea on Twitter at @nmccrea213.