Dear Editor:

I am pleased to write this letter in support of the candidacy of Chloe Maxmin, running for the State Senate District 13 seat. I know from experience she will consult with and try to be a voice for the people of our district, while looking out for what’s best for our state.

In her first term as Representative for District 88, Chloe always went the extra mile to meet with the people in her economically challenged district. She has never been too busy to sit down at a kitchen table and listen to what a constituent thinks matters. And she brought that grassroots knowledge back to the committee on which she served ... Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation ... a good match for her rural district ... working tirelessly to find ways that she and her colleagues from both sides of the aisle could create the best public policy for all Mainers.

I first met Chloe when she was a student at Lincoln Academy and I was working as the environmental justice program director for the Maine Council of Churches. She was organizing a no-idling campaign for the school and local community for the school’s Climate Action Club, which she started. I had provided her with background information and handout materials about no-idling to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the local level. I was promoting the concept to congregations and communities across the state. One day I got a call from Chloe asking if I could get more no-idling materials to her. She explained that her family’s home had burned down only two days before, and all of the no-idling materials were destroyed. Despite a tragic personal loss, she, just a high school student, also had a commitment to protect the Maine environment that she loves.

I have never forgotten that phone call and I see that same dedication as she has served the people of her district and Maine as an elected policymaker.

This year I’m thrilled I will be able to cast my vote for Chloe Maxmin to be my state senator. Please join me.

Anne D. (Andy) Burt
Edgecomb