By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Elizabeth “Libby” Mitchell hopes to be the first woman to occupy the Blaine House.
A resident of Vassalboro, Mitchell, 70, said she has the skill set needed to get Maine “back on its feet.”
“I was not termed out as a senator. I had the opportunity to run again for the State Senate, and the opportunity to run again for Senate President, which is a job that I really valued and enjoyed, and was honored to have,” said Mitchell, “but at the same time, the challenges facing our state as we’re getting back on our feet after a terrible recession were so great that I thought that my leadership skills … my ability to bring people together to get the job done … would be important skills to have in the next governor.
“I’m passionate about the state of Maine. My four adult children grew up here and left, but they’ve all come back to raise their families and educate their kids,” she said. “I really want to make a difference and make sure that the kinds of changes that people want us to make to get on our feet after this recession are the right kinds of changes.”
Mitchell said the “overarching theme” of her campaign is jobs.
“It’s important that we get people back to work in good, quality jobs,” she said. “For Maine people, they’ve lost their sense of economic security. If they have jobs, they’re worried about keeping them, or the jobs aren’t adequate to pay the bills.
“Under that overarching theme, there is a necessity to invest in education. We have 4,000 people who are qualified for community colleges right now, but we don’t have enough capacity,” said Mitchell. “We have to make sure we’re offering the kinds of skills and training that people need to get the jobs. Education is a key component of improving the economy.”
The second key, she said, is to decrease the cost of health care.
“It’s just unaffordable for most Maine people,” said Mitchell. “Small businesses, which is certainly the bulk of our businesses here in Maine, simply can’t afford any at all, or they have such high deductibles they don’t give the kind of care that they need. We have to get the cost of health care down and make sure that we change the focus from one of treating sickness to treating wellness and we do that by changing how we pay people for their services.”
The final element of her campaign strategy, which would also help create jobs, is investing in new, clean energy opportunities.
“From tidal power to wind, to hydro to natural gas … all of the opportunities that we have to produce more and more of our own energy using LNG as an interim,” said Mitchell, “then we can be not only self-sufficient but we can sell this and use the proceeds to invest back into Maine. They all go together – creating jobs – and you do that with education, lowering the health care costs and lowering the energy costs.”
Mitchell said people should vote for her because she has both a plan and a vision to “take Maine forward.”
“I want to move us in the next transformation of jobs,” she said. “I have proven my ability to work across party lines and to get results. I think I have a track record of not only getting the job done, but I also have some really good ideas that Maine people will want to embrace as we go forward.
“The real question is, ‘Where do you want to be in four years, and who’s the best person to get you there?’” said Mitchell.
The only woman in the country whose been elected by her peers to be both Speaker of the House and Senate President, Mitchell is mindful of the fact that she may, in fact, become the first female governor of the state.
“People will not vote for me just because I’m a woman,” she said, “but it is exciting to think about the possibility of being the first woman to govern the state. It’s exciting for a lot of women – both young and old, but it’s not just women that would celebrate that. When I became the first woman Speaker of the House, I was amazed at how many young dads brought their daughters because they wanted their daughters to see that they could do anything.
“It’s an exciting prospect, but you have to be prepared for the job and I think I am,” said Mitchell.
