A Democrat who works as an assistant manager at a home for the disabled in Madison and a Republican self-employed as a contractor are vying for what would be the first seat for either of them in the state Legislature.
Democrat Daniel Swain, 26, of Canaan, faces Republican Joel Stetkis, 48, also of Canaan, in the race for House District 105 to represent Canaan, Cambridge, Hartland, Palmyra and St. Albans.
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NAME: Daniel Swain
AGE: 26
TOWN: Canaan
PARTY: Democrat
PROFESSION: Assistant house manager for Medical Care Development, a nonprofit healthcare group, in Madison; tax collector for town of Palermo
EDUCATION: Skowhegan Area High School, class of 2006; B.A. history and B.A. public administration from University of Maine at Machias, class of 2010
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Chair of Somerset County Democrats, 2013-present; Canaan planning board, 2013- present; also served as town constable and on the town board of appeals in Machias, 2009-2011; town manager in Wytopilock, 2013-2014
NAME: Joel Stetkis
AGE: 48
TOWN: Canaan
PARTY: Republican
PROFESSION: Self-employed contractor at A.J. Vinyl Works in Canaan
EDUCATION: Skowhegan Area High School, class of 1984; trained as a munitions maintenance specialist in the U.S. Air Force and served 1984-1988
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Two terms as vice chairman of the Canaan planning board, 2011-present; chairman of the Somerset County Republican Committee 2009-2013; Canaan Republican Committee chairman
Swain, who works at Medical Care Development, a non-profit health care group and is also the tax collector in the town of Palermo, said working with adults with developmental issues has sparked his interest in government and specifically in funding for social services.
Stetkis, who owns A.J. Vinyl Works in Canaan, a construction company, said he decided to run for the Legislature because he wants to provide better opportunities for future generations, including his two children.
“I feel like my generation may be the first to leave our state and country in poor shape for our kids,” said Stetkis. “Certainly there are things that government can do to make things better and provide opportunities for people.”
Creating a better job outlook and economic environment in Somerset County is a top priority for both candidates.
Swain, who commutes to work in Madison and Palermo every day, said he is committed to creating and keeping jobs in the rural district, specifically at Tasman Leather Group, a local tannery in Hartland.
“It’s constantly on the brink of being shut down, so that’s one thing I would like to work on is getting the tannery to a point where they don’t have to worry about being shut down or being able to pay their taxes,” said Swain, who said he also wants to preserve nearby manufacturing jobs at places like Sappi Fine Paper in Skowhegan and athletic shoe manufacturer New Balance located in Norridgewock and Skowhegan.
“I think state leaders need to be more proactive about it, find ways to give breaks for taxes or maybe do other things that will keep those jobs here,” said Swain, who has two degrees from the University of Maine at Machias. “I feel like paper is a dying industry as we move towards more electronic media, but there will always be some sort of need for paper, so we should find ways for Maine to be the place where paper can be made.”
Keeping local manufacturing jobs is also a priority for Stetkis, who said that part of the reason his family has remained close in Canaan is that for a long time his parents and siblings were able to find jobs at Dexter Shoe Co., which closed its last U.S. factory in Dexter in 2001.
“The opportunities for the average person to stay in their hometown, support their family and work are limited,” said Stetkis, who served six years as the chair of the Somerset County Republicans. “In state government there are things we very much can do.”
Stetkis said he is opposed to proposed legislation raising the minimum wage and said it would be more beneficial for state government to work on reducing the cost of living, specifically through energy costs and the elimination of state income tax.
“If we can reduce the cost of living even a little bit, business owners and employers can pass those savings on,” he said. “The quality of life in Maine is second to none. If we were a state with no income tax, that would be a huge incentive for business and would reduce the overall cost of living.”
Both candidates also said they supported legislation that went into effect in 2012 making it illegal for Mainers to use electronic benefits cards to buy alcohol or cigarettes and that also banned the use of the cards in liquor stores, casinos and strip clubs.
“There are a lot of people, myself included, that think if you can afford to go on a vacation you should have no trouble paying rent or paying for food,” said Stetkis. “I have no problem helping people, but there are some who take advantage of it.”
But rather than focus on putting in place stricter welfare laws, Swain said lawmakers should focus on getting more people off welfare.
“I think the best welfare program is a good economy,” he said. “Currently in Maine we don’t have a good economy. We’re one of the last states in terms of job growth. We were just ranked one of the worst states for business.”
Swain also said that the state needs to improve the care it provides the mentally ill and handicapped.
“There are a lot of people living in group homes that shouldn’t be there; they should be in institutions or hospitals,” he said. “But the way to save money and get them out of the state’s hands is to give them the funding to live in a group home when they are too mentally ill to be there. One thing I would like to work on is getting more space available at state hospitals so the people that need to be there can be.”
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm
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