This guest column, written by Gordon Smith was originally published in the Portland Press Herald.
I feel blessed to have known and worked with all five of the Democratic candidates to become Maine’s next governor. While any of these individuals would be capable leaders of our state, only one has the skill set and broad experience to be exceptional. And Maine is going to need an exceptional leader to face the challenges awaiting us. That candidate is Hannah Pingree, a generational leader with a reputation for bringing people of all ideologies and backgrounds together to tackle real problems. Pingree sees the big picture, listens more than she talks and she is kind, which is not to be taken lightly in these turbulent times.
I understand that a candidate’s experience today is discarded by many voters. But having spent over 50 years around the Maine State House, I believe that the best way to know that a new governor can and will do what they promise, is to look at what that individual has done and how.
As a mom, a school board chair, a legislator and House speaker and director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, Hannah has the broadest experience and strongest track record of any gubernatorial candidate in the last 50 years. She has worked tirelessly to expand access to health care and affordable housing and led Maine’s climate work, among other countless accomplishments on behalf of Maine people.
Experience matters. Please vote for it in Maine’s primary election on June 9.
