St. John Valley natives compete for seat

FORT KENT – The race for the Democratic nomination for Maine Senate District 35 will pit two St. John Valley natives against each other in the June 10 primary.

While both Troy Jackson and Gary Pelletier would be newcomers to the Senate, Jackson has spent the last six years in the Maine House representing District 1.

Both are seeking the seat occupied by Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits. Instead, Martin is running for the House District 1 seat.

Jackson, who is eligible to seek a fourth term in the House under Maine’s term limits laws, said he decided to make a run for the Senate after members of the state’s Democratic Party approached him.

“They asked me to consider running,” Jackson said. “I thought about it awhile and thought I’d give it a try.”

After six years in the State House, Jackson has achieved leadership status, serving as House chairman of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.

In addition, the Allagash native is a member of the Labor Committee and has chaired the state’s Harness Racing Commission.

If elected to the Senate, Jackson said he would like to continue in a leadership capacity.

“The number one thing for me has been constituent issues,” Jackson said.

Among the issues he sees facing his constituents are health care and the rising costs of fuel.

“Fuel prices have people completely frustrated and full of rage and hatred of government,” Jackson said. “I can understand that.”

Jackson said the state is virtually powerless to control spiraling fuel costs, so instead he has pushed for a variety of trucking laws aimed at taking pressure off costs in other areas, including reduced fines and the cutting of extraneous red tape.

Jackson is a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on the Sustainability of the Forest Products Industry in Maine and has advocated for fair wages for loggers and independent truckers.

He said he has been a strong supporter of the Dirigo Health plan and still feels it can work.

“I voted for it and I’m not ashamed of it,” he said.

Jackson also has sponsored legislation aimed at protecting victims of domestic abuse in Maine.

For his part, Pelletier points to his 30-plus years in state law enforcement as evidence of his own experience within Maine state politics.

Pelletier said he is tired of watching the northern tier of the state “going downhill and the constituents ignored.”

The retired game warden said he is not looking at a Senate seat as another career. Rather, “I’m going to Augusta to help people and to help families.”

Pelletier said he’s also tired of seeing families negatively affected by a shrinking local jobs market that forces people to move south.

“Sixty percent of my family has had to go south,” Pelletier said. “We have to keep our young men working and we’ve got to help the farmers. It’s a good feeling to see the men out there working.”

If elected, Pelletier said he would be beholden to no individual or special interest group.

“My first thoughts and direction is from the people in this area,” he said. “I’m not going down there for Gary [and] I expect the people of this area to hold my feet to the fire.”

If sent to Augusta, the longtime supporter of locals’ rights to use the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and master Maine guide would seek membership on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee or Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.

Since retiring, Pelletier has volunteered with numerous organizations, including the Allagash and St. Francis Historical Society, the Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race, the Bureau of Parks and Lands, retired law enforcement groups and several church and public parks restoration projects.