The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Austin Theriault is a state representative and a former NASCAR driver from Fort Kent. He is running for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.
Mainers have been forgotten by the politicians in Washington who I think care more about personal gain than they do the people they are meant to serve. I have watched it play out for far too long in my home of Fort Kent.
As a fifth-generation Mainer from Aroostook County, my family’s story is like so many others. We are a logging, farming, and trucking family that fought hard to survive in rural Maine.
In the County, we didn’t accomplish our goals by fighting and embracing “my way or the highway” mentalities. Instead, we came together as neighbors, not as Republicans or Democrats, to ensure we got the job done. For generations, the Theriaults worked in the woods and fields of our great state — work that instilled strong values like hard work, teamwork, integrity, and honesty.
These values drive my campaign for Congress and my entire life. My family has taught me these lessons over the years, and I am grateful for the opportunity to bring these values and life lessons to Washington to serve you.
Partisan politics do nothing for Maine families that are simply struggling to survive. You need solutions that sadly, the politicians in Washington are struggling to understand in the first place. It’s why I am so committed to putting people over politics.
We need a champion who will put Mainers over politics so we can protect your Social Security and Medicare. Unfortunately, I believe my opponent, Jared Golden, and his allies would rather lie to you about my record than tell you the truth about his own. While I could sit here and list every lie Jared Golden and the corporate PACs supporting him are throwing out in an attempt to secure another vote for the Biden/Harris/Golden agenda, I would rather tell you how I’m going to put people over politics in Washington.
The big issues are obvious to regular Mainers: costs are too high, the border isn’t secure so drugs are coming into Maine, and our legacy industries, like lobstering, are left high and dry by the politicians in Washington. Unfortunately, Jared Golden has voted on both sides of these issues and many more. He’s gone Washington.
Costs are up, whether it’s on groceries, energy, or everyday items — and it’s not an accident. Our bank accounts are draining in part because the Biden, Harris, and Golden agenda supported a ridiculous amount of government spending that led to a historic rise in inflation. I’m committed to lowering costs for your families.
I’m going to fight hard to secure the border, crack down on the fentanyl crisis, and ensure we stop spending our hard-earned dollars taking care of 10 million illegal immigrants. I will always be with our lobstermen; unlike Golden, who voted for a spending bill that expands offshore wind and funds NOAA regulators going after our lobster industry.
We can only bring balance and less extremism to Washington and put your family first if we see through the misinformation Golden and his allies continue to peddle on your airwaves. I will fight for the workers at Bath Iron Works and I promise to protect your access to Social Security and Medicare from any party trying to enact negative changes because I know how much it helped my memere in her retirement.
I’ll work with folks on both sides of the aisle to bring bipartisan solutions that benefit your families, not continue the failed policies of the past that I believe have made us less safe and less prosperous. My priorities will always be Maine families, not the Biden/Harris/Golden agenda.
I am humbly asking for your vote. If you need more information, please go to AustinforMaine.com. It would be my honor to serve you. I’ll work as hard as I can to help our district succeed.
