SKOWHEGAN – Two local men will vie in the June 10 primary for the Democratic nomination in House District 85. Jeffrey McCabe, 30, and Mitchell Snowman, 21, are both young, energetic and eager to serve.

McCabe is married with a young daughter and a baby on the way. He is employed at Lake George Regional Park and was formerly with the Somerset County Soil and Water Conservation District. He is also a member of the Skowhegan planning board and budget committee and has been active in many town events.

As an avid outdoorsman and environmentalist, McCabe said he feels that Skowhegan has a unique location and role as a tourist destination.

“There is a lot of potential here,” he said. “In the past, I have worked closely with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation. I will not pretend to know the inner workings of Augusta, but I have a lot of energy and I am a quick learner.”

He added: “I feel the state could do more to promote the Skowhegan area, everything from health care to jobs, to energy issues. There is a lot of opportunity for expansion of ‘green-collar’ jobs here. It’s a grass-roots economy and there is so much room for expansion of a tourism-based economy.”

McCabe said another passion is health care for all Maine residents. “Until everyone in Maine has health care, it will be a crisis,” he said.

Snowman, a Skowhegan native, is a student of anthropology at the University of Maine at Farmington. He said his desire is to represent all of Skowhegan’s residents, regardless of their party affiliation.

“I will bring my own … views to the position,” Snowman said, “but representing District 85 is also a job. I feel I must represent not just Democrats, but Republicans and independents. What I’m trying to do is combine what everyone has to say and form my opinion.”

Snowman said he has been knocking on doors throughout the county seat and the basic issues are gas and oil prices, and jobs. “These are everyday things. In this area, it is more of a focus on the basics of life, living and making a living.”

He admits that some people may feel his age and inexperience are not an asset. “Youth can also be a positive thing,” he said. “I haven’t experienced how politics work. I have sort of a clean slate and have been untainted by years of politics.”

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