Party affiliation:

Republican

Social media accounts:
https://www.facebook.com/BussellForMaine

Occupation:
Lawyer specializing in business and privacy law

Education:
B.S. Environmental Studies, George Washington University; M.A. Public Policy and Management, University of Southern Maine; J.D., Suffolk University Law School

Community Organizations:
Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine; International Association of Privacy Professionals; Pro bono services to individuals and various community organizations

Personal information (hobbies, etc.):
Fishing, gardening, playing guitar, collecting vintage Hathaway shirts

Family status:
Married

Years in the Legislature:

None

Committee assignments (if elected):
Labor and Housing; Energy, Utilities, Technology

Q&A

1) Define what “success” would look like if you are elected to serve your district.
With winter just around the corner and heating oil at record high prices, we must take urgent action to ensure that vulnerable Mainers are able to heat their homes this winter. Once this emergency has ebbed, we must take a long-term view and work to empower Mainers to become less reliant on heating oil, ideally by utilizing our own home-grown resources.

We must address the housing crisis. We must build much more affordable housing for lower and middle-income Mainers and end government policies that are artificially restricting supply and increasing demand for housing and thereby displacing Mainers from their communities.

We must also reform our welfare system so that we reward hard work while ensuring a safety net for those who need it.

We must address high energy costs by generating more power here in Maine using our own resources.

We must make sure our education system rises to this critical moment by ensuring that the state continues to pay its share of education funding, by appropriately empowering parents, teachers and the community to shape outcomes, and by increasing funding for trade and technical schools.

We must ensure resources are available to fight the opioid crisis and treat Mainers affected by mental illness.

We must restore civility to public service.

2) Characterize your view on public access to governmental business.
Every government official must understand that his or her primary loyalty is to the citizens, not to an agency, political party, or agenda. Our public institutions only succeed when they have the trust of the public, and therefore I will fight to preserve and expand public access and oversight.