WESTFIELD — Maine Senate President Kevin Raye’s 2nd Congressional District campaign received a boost last Wednesday from farmers and other members of the Aroostook County agriculture community during a visit to the Smith’s Farm packing facility in Westfield.
Raye was welcomed by sixth-generation farmer Emily Smith, and was introduced by Dick Kneeland of Easton, a retired potato farmer and former Senate chairman of the Maine Legislature’s Agriculture Committee. Raye was also joined by Sen. Roger Sherman (R-Hodgdon), the current Senate chairman of the Agriculture Committee; former Sen. Leo Kieffer of Caribou, Rep. Mike Willette (R-Presque Isle) and Rep. Tyler Clark (R-Easton).
“In these tough economic times, Maine’s farmers need a Congressman who understands the importance of small business and family farms,” said Kneeland. “Agriculture contributes $1.2 billion a year to Maine’s economy and we know we can count on Kevin Raye to stand with us to preserve agriculture jobs and family farms.”
Kneeland noted that the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), both non-partisan organizations, gave Congressman Mike Michaud failing grades for his votes on issues of importance to farmers and small businesses.
A former Senate Republican lead on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, Raye has been active in agricultural and rural issues in the Maine Senate. As Senate President, he helped push through changes to the estate tax to help Maine farmers maintain ownership of family farms from generation to generation, sponsored Maine’s new regulatory reform law, and is a strong supporter of Maine’s milk stabilization fund to ensure the survival of the state’s dairy farms.
“Kevin Raye has proven he stands with Maine farmers,” said Smith. “He has supported us on irrigation issues, on regulatory reform and the death tax, and will be a stronger advocate in Congress to help us survive and continue our way of life into the future.”
Raye said he would advocate for Maine farmers in the U.S. House.
“While Sen. Susan Collins, an Aroostook County native, earned a solid 70 percent rating from the Farm Bureau last year, Congressman Michaud scored just 11 percent, down from a meager 16 percent in the two previous years, demonstrating he is out of touch with Maine agriculture,” he said. “My record shows that I will be a stronger voice for Maine farmers in Washington.”
