Mark Dion is mayor of Portland.

For too many years, a prosperous few may have found Maine’s economic status quo satisfactory.

The rest of us see a different reality.

Most Mainers struggle daily to keep their lives affordable, living in a world where the cost of living consistently outpaces the growth of their wages. We need a leader who understands that struggle in his bones — and possesses the grit to help us overcome it.

I have dedicated my life to public service: as a police officer, a sheriff, a state representative, a senator and now as the mayor of Portland. But long before those titles, I grew up in Lewiston. My father was a union firefighter and my mother stayed home to raise me and my three sisters in our two-bedroom apartment.

My values — family, neighborhood and the dignity of work — were forged by the union men who surrounded me. These were men who valued their reputations and whose word was their bond.

We were families who worked hard to make it from week to week, yet we always found enough to share with neighbors who had less. We knew exactly what it meant to live with the anxiety of wondering if the money would last the whole month.

I know that far too many Mainers are living that experience right now. And I know Troy Jackson understands it, too.

Troy knows that those families were Democrats because they refused to be invisible. For them, being a Democrat was an assertion of dignity; it was a way of saying their labor and their lives meant something to the legacy they intended to leave behind.

That Democratic Party spoke to their story — a story of good people who gave their sweat equity to build something of value for their children. They didn’t ask for a handout; they asked for fairness and respect for the communities they sustained.

That party understood that the only “focus group” that mattered was the talk you found at the kitchen table, in a church basement, or — if times were good — at the local tavern. It was a party of handshakes and a shared understanding of what counts, not a worldview built on “deliverables” crafted by consultants.

Troy has carried that Democratic legacy forward, fighting tirelessly for the people who built this state. As Senate president, he was a champion for affordable prescription drugs, childcare and housing. He understands that Maine only prospers when everyone gets a fair shot to make their families better and their communities stronger. Maine wins when the working people who make this state run are finally seen.

Troy’s authenticity bridges the distance between our communities. As a fifth-generation logger, Troy doesn’t wear blue jeans to signal “casual Friday” — he wears them because he has work to do. While Portland sits a long way from Allagash, our shared working-class values bind us as partners.

Maine needs a governor who knows who we were, who we are and who we can become. His journey to the Blaine House reminds me why I am a Democrat, and it is why I will cast my vote for Troy Jackson as Maine’s next governor.