CAPE ELIZABETH — Two local attorneys are running for the Democratic nomination in Maine House District 30, which includes part of Cape Elizabeth.

Anne Carney will face Mary Ann Lynch in the June 12 Democratic primary. Charles Peter Rich, of Cape Elizabeth, is unopposed for the Republican nomination.

The seat up for grabs is held by Rep. Kim Monaghan, also a Democrat. Monaghan, who has served four consecutive two-year terms, cannot seek re-election because of Maine’s term limit law.

Residents can cast their votes on June 12 at Cape Elizabeth High School. Polls will open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. 

Carney

Carney, 55, has lived in Cape Elizabeth for about 28 years. She practiced law at Norman, Hanson & DeTroy for 18 years before becoming an in-house volunteer attorney with Pine Tree Legal Assistance for almost eight years. Her profession, she said, has taken her to “every corner of the state,” representing municipalities, companies and individuals.

For nine years, she also volunteered for the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust, where she served as board president for three years.

Carney has also served on the town’s board of appeals, library board and the Two Lights Road Bicycle Path Committee.

“I feel that my qualifications would make me a great person to be on the team of legislators that are moving Maine forward,” Carney said. “… (My) deep conservation knowledge is also an asset for the Legislature. … It’s the kind of expertise the state needs in Augusta.”

This is her first campaign for elected office.

Carney said she is running because “we get a fresh start in January 2019 (with) a new governor and new legislators.”

If elected, Carney said the issues on which she’d like to focus will depend on her constituents’ priorities, including protecting the environment, in part by promoting renewable energy; improving the state’s funding formula for education; growing Maine’s economy through job creation, and providing access to quality, affordable health care.

Carney said she feels she is the right candidate for the seat because she has a “great combination of statewide knowledge,” having worked as an attorney throughout Maine, and “local knowledge,” given her volunteer work in Cape Elizabeth.

“Protecting the environment is really critical to quality of life and health for all Mainers,” she said. 

Lynch

Lynch, 62, has been a resident of Cape Elizabeth for 34 years, during which she served on the Town Council for seven years and was elected chairwoman twice.

She has also served on the Comprehensive Plan Committee, the Thomas Memorial Library board and has been a volunteer at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church.

Although she hasn’t practiced law for several years, Lynch previously worked on the staff of former Gov. Joseph E. Brennan for two years and later was in private practice in the Portland law firm Verrill Dana. 

Most recently, she served as the legislative liaison for Maine’s Judicial Branch for nine years before resigning to run for the Legislature. 

“The reason I’m running is to put my experience, which is extensive in state and local government, to work for the citizens of Cape Elizabeth,” she said. 

Like Carney, Lynch said her priorities, if elected, would reflect those of the Cape Elizabeth constituency – health care, protecting the environment and supporting public education at all levels. 

What sets her apart from Carney as a candidate, Lynch said, is her experience.

“I’m intimately familiar with the legislative process and other legislators,” she said. 

Another difference, Lynch said, is that she is running as a Clean Election candidate.

“My experience in Augusta informed my decision that money is quite a corrosive influence,” she said. 

Lynch added that she is passionate about common-sense gun control.

“It will not happen in Washington. The states must take the lead,” she said. “With my experience working with the Legislature, I will be an effective advocate on this issue and ready on Day 1 to take this on. … I will be ready on Day 1 to be a strong voice for the people of Cape Elizabeth.”

Jocelyn Van Saun can be reached at 781-3661, ext. 183 or jvansaun@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter @JocelynVanSaun.

Carney

Lynch

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