(NEWS CENTER Maine) — State Senator Eric Brakey (R) represents District 20 in the Maine Senate. For the last four-years, Brakey served as the Senate Chairman for the Health and Human Services Committee, but this election year he has his sights set on a bigger goal; the U.S. Senate.
Brakey tells News Center Maine why he is attempting to unseat incumbent Senator Angus King (I) in November.
"Many of the things that we try to change on the state level, to make these programs work for Maine people, everything is tied to federal funds and federal mandates,' said Brakey. "And yet they don’t produce anything in Washington D.C. They are not known for manufacturing, agriculture or finance. They are known for doing one thing they do better than anywhere else in America, and it’s stealing from the rest of us.”
Brakey believes Maine people know their own lives better than any Washington D.C. or Augusta politician. He says his family's roots go back in Maine for ten generations and he wants the government to have less involvement in Mainers' lives.
“Stealing from our paychecks with taxes, our future, the value of our savings or retirement every time they print trillions of dollars out of thin air," said Brakey. "I’m running to go to Washington D.C. because I think we need a better deal for Maine. Better jobs, better healthcare, more freedom, and less Washington D.C. meddling in our lives.”
Concerns over Sen. King's voting record were raised by Brakey. He wants voters to know they have a choice in the midterm elections.
"If you want an independent voice for Maine, you have a choice between the fake independent Angus King, who calls himself an independent, but frankly votes 90% of the time with Chuck Schumer and the democratic party, or you can have a real independent," said Brakey. "Despite the letter next to my name, I have one of the most independent voting records of anyone in the Maine Senate. I’ve built bipartisan coalitions to defend our second amendment rights, to reform welfare, to expand medical cannabis policy, to create jobs and cut regulations."
Brakey added that if he is elected, he hopes to establish Economic Freedom Zones within his first two years in the Capitol. He says these zones will cut federal tax rates to next-to-nothing so impoverished areas in Maine can keep more of their own money to create better-paying jobs and attract outside investors.
Maine's U.S. Senate debate between Senator Angus King (I), Eric Brakey (R) and Zak Ringelstein (D) will air live on News Center Maine on Monday, Oct. 29th at 7:00 p.m.