Politics
Our political journalists are based in the Maine State House and have deep source networks across the partisan spectrum in communities all over the state. Their coverage aims to cut through major debates and probe how officials make decisions. Read more Politics coverage here.
KENDUSKEAG, Maine — State Sen. Stacey Guerin fainted during a ceremony for the new library here Wednesday and was taken to a Bangor hospital.
Guerin, R-Glenburn, was awake and talking with people around her, including U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, before the ambulance arrived around 11:30 a.m. The 68-year-old fainted while Collins was speaking about the importance of the library and the history of final trusses of buildings being erected.
Guerin did not speak before she was taken to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and did not respond to a request for comment later in the afternoon.
Four Kenduskeag first responders were at the event and called for the ambulance while attending to Guerin, who fell on her front near a corner of the front entrance being built. Guerin was able to talk with people around her shortly after she fell, selectman Chris Young said.
“She went down pretty hard, but she was back quickly and talking with us,” Young said.
Guerin told the paramedics, Young and others around her that she doesn’t have a history of fainting or passing out and thought it was from the heat, Young said. There was little to no shade or cloud coverage at the event and the temperature was around 80 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Bottles of water were passed out after Guerin fell.
Although Guerin got up quickly and was helped by the paramedics and firefighters at the event, the ambulance was called out of “precaution,” Young said.
Guerin was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2010. She was then elected to the Maine Senate in 2018 and was reelected in 2020. Guerin is term limited and cannot run for reelection this year. Guerin’s husband, Joseph Guerin, campaigned for the seat in a primary earlier this year but lost to Rep. Chad Perkins, R-Dover-Foxcroft.
After the ambulance left, the event continued. Collins, who had been kneeling with Guerin while she was on the ground, spoke briefly before the truss was signed and put in place, saying Guerin asked for the event to go on despite her not being there.
“Stacey said we should continue. She knows how important this library is for the community,” Collins said.
Collins attended the event because she secured a $1 million earmark for the library in 2024. The senator also appropriated $3.5 million for a Kenduskeag Fire Station earlier this year. The station will be built on the open lot next to the library on Broadway in the coming years. The Republican up for reelection this year did not take questions from reporters after the event.
Young said the ability to have paramedics and firefighters at the scene emphasized how important the proposed station and other support for the town’s first responders is.
“This shows why small towns need these resources,” Young said.