Dear Editor:

The first time I ever heard of Laura Fortman, now running for the Maine Senate District 13 seat, was on the occasion of the fire that destroyed the Washburn & Doughty Shipyard in East Boothbay in July 2008.

Laura was Maine Labor Department Commissioner at the time, and I remember reading news accounts of her on the scene shortly after the fire, leading the department’s rapid response team that was meeting with workers who were suddenly without a job. She and the team were there to steer workers to available unemployment, health care, and job training resources, and “to get a better understanding of what might be the needs of those employees,” she said at the time.

I remember thinking then, there’s a model of responsive government in action, taking immediate steps to help people recover from a major mishap.

That Labor Commissioner position, which Laura held for eight years, was just one of a series of leadership positions she has held. She served for three and a half years as a deputy administrator in the U.S. Department of Labor during the Obama administration. In other roles over the years she led a sexual assault crisis center, was executive director of the Maine Women’s Lobby for 10 years, served with the Maine Women’s Policy Center, and was director of the Frances Perkins Center in Damariscotta.

In short, Laura might be the most qualified person ever to seek a legislative seat in Maine. Her experience, her focus on public service, plus her winning personality, make her the kind of person political parties dream of having run for office. What more is there to ask for in a candidate?

Tom Eichler

Wiscasset