Carl Sheline is mayor of Lewiston.

Maine is at a crossroads.

We face an urgent need to fix a health care system that is nearing collapse. Thousands of Maine families face crushing energy bills while juggling unaffordable child care. And too many of our neighbors are priced out of towns they grew up in thanks to unaffordable housing.

And all of this persists alongside the reality of a federal government happy to target and terrorize American communities like ours here in Lewiston.

But we also have a chance at hope.

A Gallup poll from last November showed that Americans’ trust in the federal government remains mired near five-decade lows. But it also showed that 59% of Americans trust their state government to handle state problems, and 65% trust their local government to handle local problems.

As mayor to one of the most diverse cities in Maine, I see my role as a voice of the people, advocating on behalf of Lewiston and fighting for our collective best interests. That’s why, when it comes to our next governor, I’m proud to put my full support behind Dr. Nirav Shah. Dr. Shah is the leader for our time.

We all know that state leadership has a direct impact on our lives. But what does good leadership look like? National surveys show that, across the country, people are looking for trustworthy institutions, effective performance and authentic communication.

Here in Maine, we saw all of that from Dr. Shah in one of our hardest times. We watched him religiously on our TVs, we listened intently to his words. We depended upon him to speak the truth and tell it to us straight. And he did.

Because of his proactive, strategic leadership, Maine was more prepared than any other state. We had PPE for our health care workers, we had a coordinated response plan between the state and localities, and despite being the oldest state in the nation we had one of the fastest vaccine rollouts and one of the lowest age-adjusted death rates in the nation.

And none of that happened by accident. It happened because Dr. Shah dedicated every hour of every day to making sure Mainers were safe and protected. And that’s the kind of leadership we need now more than ever.

I have heard the Trump administration described as a “curtain of darkness” settling over our nation. In Lewiston, we know what it takes to lift that sort of darkness.

This past year, when Trump’s ICE raids targeted and terrorized our Somali neighbors, leaving families afraid to leave their homes and schoolchildren terrified to go to class, entire neighborhoods showed up to piece dreams and a sense of safety and belonging back together.

This is what is at our doorstep in this election.

We need a governor who is battle-tested. Who shows up and leads with the community at the center of response. Who shows us that honesty and integrity in the face of the unimaginable are not just possible but fundamental to good government. We need a governor who will fix housing, fund health care, feed kids, fuel growth, fight like hell against the Trump administration and be transparent, accountable, accessible and doggedly focused on what’s next in the process.

That’s Dr. Nirav Shah. I’m proud to give him my full endorsement and look forward to working alongside him as Maine’s next governor.