Lincoln County Republicans held their Lincoln Day Dinner at the 1812 Farm in Bristol on Feb. 12. The theme of the event was Lincoln’s speeches. Trish Warren, candidate for House District 48, read the Emancipation Proclamation. Ed Polewarczyk, candidate for House District 47, read the Gettysburg Address, and Bill Maloney, chair of the Wiscasset Town Committee, read Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. These documents speak to the Civil War, the purpose, the sacrifice, and then the hope for healing. Republicans can be proud of our first Republican President, the sacrifice of the Union Army, and in particular the sacrifice of Mainers who fought to remedy a great wrong. In many ways these documents speak to the heart of our nation and our hope for the future even today.

Republican candidates spoke of current concerns. There was a general concern of government overreach in Maine and loss of personal liberties. The Covid-19 lockdowns have damaged our economy and have negatively impacted our children’s education, their socialization, and their emotional growth. Out of control spending and federal government policies have led to inflation and is impacting the working poor of Maine. There was also general agreement that the education system is failing our young people. Many of our current graduates are not qualified to fill a backlog of open job positions. This hurts both our graduating students and the small businesses that cannot find help. Paul LePage and Abdon Simmons, Senate District 13, were especially interested in better vocational training programs. All candidates spoke of returning to a system that puts more faith in the collective wisdom of the voters and less of a one-size-fits-all solution out of Augusta.

On a lighter note, it was an enjoyable evening of socializing and celebrating Lincoln, especially as the event was canceled last year. It is a pleasure to return to a more normal life as state mandates are being reduced and life is slowly returning to normal. It was also discovered that two of our House Candidates, Ed Polewarczyk and Lynn Madison, worked in the shuttle program and could be called “rocket scientists.” Ignoring the obvious punchline, it would be good to have two more scientists in Augusta. Republicans are planning for a better future for Maine.