Randall seeking Senate re-election

EAST MACHIAS — Sen. Edwin C. Randall, R-East Machias, has announced that he will seek re-election to a third term in the Maine State Senate from District 7.

Randall, who also has served six years in the House of Representatives, said that he hoped to continue his commitment to finding solutions for Washington County’s environmental, social and economic problems.

“Looking ahead to the 1990s,” said Randall, “the issue will be solid-waste reduction and disposal. I am proud that Washington County was at the forefront in making Maine citizens aware of the threat a waste dump presents to our way of life. The immediate challenge is to not lose momentum. People seem more willing to change their bad habits and be more responsible about the garbage they produce and how it is disposed of.

“We need to foster a strong independent business community and avoid the `strangulation by regulation’ practices in Augusta that force so many businesses to call it quits soon after they get started,” he said.

“We must intensify our efforts to fight drug and alcohol abuse, particularly in the schools,” Randall said.

Randall, who is chairman of the Washington County legislative delegation, serves on the Legislature’s Committee on Human Resources and on Gov. John McKernan’s Rural Development Committee. During previous sessions, he has served on the Education Committee; Aging, Retirement and Veterans Committee; and several state commissions, including the governor’s Rural Development Task Force and the special commission to study school entrance age and preschool services.

This session, Randall initiated legislation to broaden the law requiring children to wear seat belts or safety harnesses and co-sponsored laws to increase awareness of fetal alcohol syndrome and to strengthen drug-abuse treatment for schoolchildren.

Randall, an ordained minister, is pastor at the Whitneyville Congregational Church. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard University and a master of arts in religion from Yale University.

He is a member of Warren Masonic Lodge No. 2 and is a past president of the Washington County Association for Retarded Citizens and the Washington Academy board of trustees.

Born and raised in the Machias area, Randall lives in East Machias with his wife, Evelyn, and their four children.