Keith Newman
Working Hard for You
Running to represent Addison, Beals, Centerville Township, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Harrington, Jonesboro, Jonesport, Machias, Milbridge, North Washington, Roque Bluffs, Whitneyville, in District 11
Washington and Hancock Counties have the highest cancer rates in the State of Maine. Maine has higher cancer rates than 40 other states. If you live in Washington County, Maine, cancer is a more prevalent threat to your family than crime.
It’s time to find out why.
About Keith
As a cancer survivor, Board Member and Past President Harrington Family Health Center, and as a person, I have seen the impact this startling statistic has on real life.
I love Maine. I want Maine to be clean and safe for all who live here. DownEast Maine is not a place for Data Centers or manufacturing hubs. DownEast Maine is a place for independent people to pursue their ambitions, to be secure in their families. DownEast Maine was the birthplace of “Maine: The Way Life Should Be.” Let’s keep it that way. I ask for your vote on Election day.
I started working in my Dad’s garment factory when I was eight years old. I learned the business from the ground up. Sweeping the floor after the shop closed, cleaning bathrooms, spreading the fabric, running the production floor. When my Dad became sick I ran the factory for eight years.
I understand hard work.
I also understand the government sometimes gets in your way. In 1982 a tariff was passed that sent garment manufacturing overseas. By 1984 I was out of business.
Lobster fishermen have experienced something similar. Tariffs have increased the cost of doing business. Maine’s lobster fishermen went on 10% fewer trips last year. The lobster catch was down.
Whether the cause of this was tariffs or global warming I will work to help lobsterfishermen overcome any obstacle they face. This industry is too important to our local economy, to our state, to have any government action, or inaction, jeopardize Lobster Fishing.
What Matters Most
The Blue Economy
Maine has been dependent on the sea for centuries. While environmental changes have chased away some industries, new opportunities abound.
Commercial Fisheries & Aquaculture
Maine leads the nation in farmed edible seaweed (producing about 60% of the U.S. total). Maine is rapidly expanding its shellfish and finfish farming. Opportunities exist for how we can solve problems for farmers by using our marine resources for fertilizer.
Marine Biotechnology & Innovation:
Startups are turning to the sea for sustainable materials—such as kelp-based plastics, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products.
State Strategic Support
Maine is one of the only states to formally define its Blue Economy in statute, establishing centers to coordinate research, commercialization, and investment. Organizations like the University of Maine Blue Economy and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute lead this charge.
These strategic opportunities should be based at UMM, attracting students to these fields of study. This is a growth opportunity for UMM and will have a profound impact on the vibrancy of Machias.
High Electricity Prices
Our electricity prices are too high. We all know it. Yet we are producing electricity and selling it out of state at cheaper rates than we pay for it. Our natural resources being exploited to benefit others!
I will work to ensure the price Washington County residents and businesses pay for electricity is competitive with what people out of state pay for their electricity.
Education
I am a retired educator. The education of a child is my most important issue. I will support Public Schools, high quality early childcare, and school lunch funding.
Preparing people through education doesn’t stop at the end of high school anymore, and I will support the University of Maine at Machias and advocate for it to become a leader in the Blue Economy.
The Environment
It’s just common sense that we should do what we can to ensure we have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. Is it no coincidence that Hancock and Washington Counties have the highest cancer rates in the state. Maine has the highest cancer rates in New England and amongst the highest rates in the nation.
If we love our children, if we love our parents, this needs our attention. As a Cancer survivor, I will ensure it gets the attention it deserves.
Past Service
Board Member Town of Addison Planning Board
Board Member Pleasant River Solid Waste Disposal District
Board Member and Past President Harrington Family Health Center