WINTHROP — Kevin Cookson, chairman of the Winthrop Town Council, is making a bid to represent Winthrop and Readfield in the Maine House of Representatives.

Cookson, a Democrat, is running for House District 82.

Republican Patrick Flood is prevented by term limits from seeking a fifth term for the seat.

Scott Davis, also of Winthrop, is running for the same seat as a Republican, according to Secretary of State’s candidates’ listing for the June 12 primary election.

Cookson, 59, is a retired law enforcement officer who now works as a licensed private investigator. He is a graduate of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and formerly worked on the Winthrop Police Department and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office before working as an investigator for the state.

He has been on the Town Council for 12 years.

“Jobs need to be job No. 1 for the Legislature, and not just any job,” Cookson said in a statement. “We need good-paying jobs that will help strengthen our middle class. Rebuilding our middle class is one of the best ways to invest in our state. We also need to prepare the next generation of workers.

“That starts with fully funding our schools and making sure our children have the education and training they need to meet the demands of our changing economy.”

He is chairman of the Kennebec County Budget Committee, and says his experience with budgeting, town government and public safety will help him be an effective legislator.

Cookson and his wife, Cathy, a legal assistant at Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios, live in Winthrop. Cookson’s daughters grew up in Winthrop and attended the schools there. His daughter Amy lives in Winthrop and is a trustee of the Bailey Public Library.

 

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