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I believe the people of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District have a real opportunity this year: To elect Paige Loud to represent us in Washington. Paige is a 29-year-old social worker with the kind of energy we need to get the work done.
Opportunities like this don’t come around often. I believe Paige represents a new generation of leadership: young, experienced, and deeply empathetic. As a social worker, I think she is the only truly working-class candidate in this race, someone who understands firsthand what families here are going through because she’s lived it alongside them.
She is also making history as the first Indigenous person ever to appear on a federal ballot in Maine. Her deep ties to the Cherokee Nation give her a perspective and leverage on issues like tribal sovereignty that none of the other candidates can offer.
And she is the only woman in this race.
Her opponents? A lawyer. A state auditor. And a millionaire who only recently bought a home in Auburn.
That contrast couldn’t be clearer.
We know Paul LePage’s style. We’ve seen it before. The question is: What do we want this election to look like? Two older men yelling at each other on a debate stage in October?
Or a 29-year-old social worker — calm, prepared, and unafraid — standing in the room and holding him accountable?
This race isn’t just about party lines or political resumes. It’s about who actually understands us, and who’s ready to fight for us. I think Paige Loud is that candidate.
Mayce Kinney
Bangor
