To merit the goodwill of folks on both sides of the aisle, a representative of the people ought to be comfortable speaking with those who disagree with him. Lucas St. Clair, Democratic hopeful for U.S. House of Representatives from Maine’s second congressional district, possesses this ability in abundance.

During his pivotal role in the creation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, St. Clair demonstrated a knack for explaining his position to many opponents. It’s telling that these citizens who he spoke to at numerous gatherings during the drive for creation of the monument still refer to him in neighborly fashion as “Lucas.”

I was present when St. Clair sat down with a group of people in my hometown of Millinocket. That evening he went out of his way to spend time with one such monument opponent over a beer. As the gentleman expressed his reservations with what seemed to me to be a golden economic opportunity for the Katahdin region and for Maine, I was impressed with St. Clair’s ability to patiently discuss an issue with an adversary from the other camp. Although he did not end up convincing the gentleman, what was important was that St. Clair listened as the man spoke his mind.

Maine has sent citizens to Washington who have distinguished themselves in Congress. These men and women have come from both sides of the aisle. Yet regardless of their party affiliation they have all possessed exceptional listening skills. We truly need this bipartisan mindset in our legislative branch on both the state and national level. Lucas St. Clair will lend his good ear to the concerns of all Mainers and will do an outstanding job in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Paul Corrigan

Millinocket


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: