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To put the focus on the topics and concerns that matter most to you, the BDN opinion section asked subscribers for their questions for the candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House. Today, we’re sharing answers from the candidates for the U.S. House for Maine’s 1st Congressional District, Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, and businessman Ron Russell, a Republican. Visit bangordailynews.com/candidates-questions to see the responses in other races.
What measures would you vote for to ensure that all Mainers have access to affordable healthcare? Should all Americans have access to the same coverage, at the same cost, as members of Congress? Do you support Medicare-for-all or another form of universal healthcare? If so, how would you pay for it? If not, why not.
Chellie Pingree, Democrat
I believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Every Mainer should have access to affordable, high-quality care, regardless of where they live, where they work, or how much money they make.
I support Medicare for All and the ultimate goal of universal healthcare. Until we achieve that, I will continue fighting to protect Medicare and Medicaid, strengthen the Affordable Care Act, preserve rural hospitals and reproductive healthcare, and lower prescription drug costs by expanding negotiation and capping out-of-pocket costs for more drugs.
Members of Congress are required by law to purchase health insurance through the ACA and that is how I receive my healthcare. I think it’s important for members to truly understand the costs and complications that everyday Americans are facing with their healthcare, and I hope it motivates more of my colleagues to fight for universal healthcare.
A universal system would replace much of what families and employers currently pay in premiums, deductibles, and copays with a fairer system of federal financing. I believe wealthy individuals and large corporations should pay their fair share, while working- and middle-class families should see their overall healthcare costs go down.
Ron Russell, Republican
Certainly, one of the first steps to reduce the cost of healthcare is to eliminate the fraud, waste, and abuse of our current system. There are multiple examples of billions of dollars in Medicaid fraud that has prevented care being given to those who really need it.
I would not vote for Medicare for All or any other single-payer system as a solution to ensure that all Mainers have access to affordable healthcare. The government does not have a successful track record running programs of this magnitude. More importantly, the federal government simply cannot afford healthcare for all. Estimates for the cost of this solution extend into the tens of trillions of dollars, which we simply do not have the taxpayer base to fund. I prefer privatization of healthcare and keeping the government out of the healthcare system.
What specific steps do you support to preserve the financial stability of Social Security? Would you support raising the payroll tax on higher incomes? Raising the full retirement age? Reducing benefits, particularly to those with high incomes? Should government spending be reduced in other areas?
Russell
The first steps to preserve the financial stability of Social Security is to eliminate the fraud, waste, and abuse discovered in the current Social Security system. The perpetrators of these crimes need to face the full punishment outlined in the law to serve as a deterrent for the continuation of this theft.
As far as other solutions are concerned, I do not support raising the payroll tax on higher incomes or raising the full retirement age for anyone currently benefiting from Social Security. Any changes made to the current Social Security program must be phased in incrementally with the largest impact of those changes being made to those who have just entered the workforce. I support no significant change on the current system that affects anyone who is currently relying on Social Security. I believe modifications to Social Security need to be made for those who are not currently benefiting from the program or are many years away from drawing on the benefit. Implementing a plan like the military’s Blended Retirement System strikes me as a viable solution. Helping workers establish private retirement plans would help to get the government out of the retirement business if that is what is determined to be in the best interest of our nation.
Pingree
Social Security is a promise to Americans who have paid into the program throughout their working lives. I will not support raising the retirement age or cutting earned benefits to balance the federal budget.
I support strengthening Social Security by asking the wealthiest Americans to contribute more. I have cosponsored the Social Security 2100 Act, which would apply Social Security payroll taxes again to earnings above $400,000 and raise additional revenue from high-income investment earnings. It would also improve benefits for lower-income seniors and make cost-of-living adjustments better reflect the expenses seniors actually face.
That is a much fairer approach than asking teachers, nurses, fishermen, construction workers, and other Mainers to work additional years before receiving benefits they have earned.
I am always willing to look for wasteful or unnecessary federal spending, but Social Security should not be treated as a piggy bank for deficit reduction or tax cuts. It is an earned benefit, and protecting its long-term financial stability without cutting benefits is one of my priorities.
Do you believe that climate change is real and made worse by burning fossil fuels? If not, why not? If so, what specific actions would you support to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure the U.S. reengages with international partners to address climate change? How would you support the transition to cleaner energy sources? How would you stand up to the president to move a climate-focused agenda forward?
Pingree
Climate change is real, and the scientific evidence is clear that burning fossil fuels is a major contributor. Maine is already experiencing the consequences: more extreme, unpredictable storms and coastal flooding are threatening working waterfronts and farms; climate-related diseases and pests are affecting both farms and forests; and the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world’s oceans.
I proudly helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest federal climate investment in U.S. history. It invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, climate-smart agriculture, coastal resilience, and American clean-energy manufacturing.
We must continue transitioning away from fossil fuels by expanding renewable energy, modernizing the electric grid, making homes and businesses more energy efficient, supporting heat pumps and other clean technologies, and making sure workers and rural communities benefit from the clean-energy economy. Using clean renewable energy can save Maine families in the long run and will guarantee a safer future for our children and grandchildren.
The United States also cannot solve climate change alone. We need to work with our international partners and reassert America as leaders in addressing the climate crisis.
As the top Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees the Environmental Protection Agency and Interior Department, I will continue fighting to defend environmental programs, opposing efforts to weaken the EPA and climate protections, and fighting for investments that reduce emissions while lowering energy costs for Maine families.
Russell
I believe that climate change is real, but I do not necessarily agree that it is made worse by the burning of fossil fuels. In fact, some recent research indicates that the levels of carbon dioxide have fluctuated significantly over time and that high levels of carbon dioxide in the past were beneficial to life on earth, not detrimental. As we all recall from our high school biology classes, plants use carbon dioxide to generate oxygen, which is essential to human life. I think that our current efforts to address climate change are adequate and I certainly don’t think we need to reengage with international partners as many don’t do their fair share.
I support further research into renewable energy sources to increase their efficiency and cost effectiveness but I disagree that those sources of energy should be subsidized by bill payers. I think more effort should be placed on small modular nuclear reactors to generate clean, safe, energy.
How will you make sure our laws, including the Constitution, are enforced equally for everyone, including members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the president? What laws should be enforced or changed to hold the president accountable and to ensure the survival of our democracy? Is this a top priority for you? What steps will you take to protect mail-in voting?
Russell
The expression “No one is above the law” is true. Everyone that violates the law should be held accountable. Our system provides a range of punishments for crimes that are applied according to the facts surrounding said crime. We call these facts extenuating and mitigating circumstances.
As far as the Constitution is concerned, there are checks and balances in our system to ensure that laws passed by our government are constitutional, that is, they do not violate the Constitution. This same system is also designed to identify those who may have violated our laws, to investigate to determine if laws have been broken, and to hold trials if a determination is made that the law has been violated. I don’t know that any laws need to be changed to hold the president accountable. I think our current structure is adequate to that task as long as it is implemented correctly.
In terms of mail-in voting protection, current protections are adequate to protect that method of casting one’s ballot. I do believe that enforcement of other aspects of voting that impact mail-in voting may need to be enhanced. I believe that a valid ID needs to be presented to vote regardless of the system used and I believe that improvements to ensure that only American citizens cast ballots need to be implemented. Voting is the most sacred task we do as Americans and we should do everything in our power to ensure it is executed flawlessly.
Pingree
No one is above the law — no president, no member of Congress, and no federal agent carrying a badge and a gun.
Our Constitution and laws must be applied fairly and consistently. Federal law enforcement officers — such as ICE officers — have significant authority, but that authority is not unlimited. They must respect constitutional protections and be subject to transparency, accountability, and congressional oversight.
Protecting our democracy is one of my highest priorities. Congress must vigorously exercise its constitutional responsibilities, conduct meaningful oversight of the executive branch, enforce its laws and subpoenas, protect the independence of our courts and justice system, and hold presidents accountable when they abuse their authority. Republicans have refused to do that and it’s critical if Democrats are back in the majority that we ensure the constitution is upheld.
Voting rights are fundamental to that work. I strongly support federal voting-rights protections and will continue fighting efforts to make it harder for eligible Americans to vote.
I will also defend absentee and mail-in voting. Maine has successfully used absentee voting for years. No eligible voter should have to choose between casting a ballot and their health, their job, their disability, their family responsibilities, or their ability to reach a polling place. We should make voting secure and accessible — not put unnecessary barriers between Americans and the ballot box. We will oppose any attempts by the president to use the military to intimidate voters at their polling places.
What are your top 3 accomplishments as a lawmaker?
Pingree
First, I’m proud of the resources I’ve delivered directly to Maine communities through my work on the House Appropriations Committee. Since joining the Committee in 2013, I’ve fought for investments in clean water, housing, working waterfronts, climate resilience, local food systems, and other priorities. In FY2026 alone, I secured more than $14 million in Community Project Funding for Maine’s First District.
Second, I’m proud of how I’ve used my position to push back when the Trump administration has overreached or threatened the institutions and protections people depend on. That means speaking out publicly, using legislation and the appropriations process to challenge harmful actions, protecting institutions like the Kennedy Center, and stopping an effort to give pesticide manufacturers special protection from lawsuits. It also means showing up alongside Mainers when federal immigration enforcement has created fear in our communities.
Third, I’m proud of the constituent service my office provides every day. Some of the most meaningful work we do never makes a headline: helping veterans recover benefits, resolving Social Security problems, assisting immigrants whose cases have stalled, helping people secure work permits, and cutting through federal bureaucracy when someone has nowhere else to turn.
To me, being an effective lawmaker means delivering resources, standing up for Maine’s values, and making government work for people.
What are your top 3 accomplishments as a businessman and veteran?
Russell
Growing a business from four to 150 employees over a 15-year period with a record of looking out for employees’ welfare by providing benefits and pay above the market rate, and allowing those employees to learn, grow, and make honest mistakes with fear of reprisal.
During my service I strived to be the best that I could be and I did that at every level. I served for 30 years as an Airborne Ranger Green Beret and I commanded what I consider to be the nation’s finest unit. Throughout my military career I tried to implement actions that ensured the future success of every organization with which I was associated.
As a colonel in the U.S. Army and subsequently as a business owner, I focused on doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason while staying within moral, legal, and ethical boundaries.
Why should we trust you?
Russell
I have worked over my lifetime not to violate the trust that I had cultivated and built in my superiors, subordinates and peers through my words and deeds. I cannot envision that changing at this point in my life.
Pingree
I don’t believe any elected official is automatically entitled to people’s trust. You have to earn it.
Throughout my career, I believe it is important to be very clear about where I stand, do my homework, listen to people even when we disagree, and take on powerful interests when I believe they are standing in the way of what’s right for Maine. People want someone who will fight for them and I hope they find that in me.
I also bring the perspective of someone who has lived and worked in Maine for decades. I’m a farmer and a small-business owner, and I raised my family here. I understand that decisions made in Washington have very real consequences for whether a senior can afford a prescription, whether a young family can afford a home, whether a fisherman can keep working on the waterfront, or whether a farmer can stay on the land.
People don’t have to agree with me on every issue. What I can promise is that I will tell them where I stand, listen when they disagree, and always put the interests of Maine people ahead of powerful special interests.