People here in Somerset County may not be familiar with Rep. Larry Lockman. But those of us who serve the people in Augusta are all too familiar with his antics.

For those who don’t know, Lockman is an extremist, with a long history of using exaggerated fear tactics and smear campaigns against anyone he disagrees with. In the past, he’s targeted women and LGBT people with hateful, offensive attacks and commentary.

The campaign for Senate District 3 had been spirited and fair. That’s why I’m so disappointed that Lockman has brought his politics of fear and division into our race.

In an attempt to support my opponent, Lockman has distorted my record in an example of misleading, negative campaigning. It’s worth noting that in his effort to smear my record, Lockman has run afoul of state campaign finance laws, and been fined accordingly.

The truth is, I opposed Lockman’s bill because it was an affront to local control. The bill would have forced local officials to engage in racial profiling and, if they didn’t, would have cut all state funding for our local schools, our fire departments, our snowplows and many other municipal services.

I support our local schools. I’ve supported efforts to help towns bounce back when mills shut down, leaving our residents holding pink slips and our property taxpayers holding bills. What Lockman proposed wasn’t policymaking. It was extortion. And I rejected it.

Margaret Chase Smith was a Republican through and through. But she said, “I do not want to see the Republican party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny — fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear.”

My opponent and others should honor Margaret Chase Smith and denounce these false attacks by Lockman. They cannot allow him to become the new face of the GOP. Instead of Lockman’s race to the bottom, we should be talking about our records. I’m proud of mine.

I’ve supported our schools, our seniors, our veterans and Maine’s working class, working across the aisle with Democrats, Republicans and independents alike.

I’ve submitted and supported bills to prevent welfare fraud and abuse, to make sure welfare is a hand up out of hard times, not a way of life.

I’ve fought for our outdoor heritage and its related industries, earning an “A-plus” from the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine.

I believe that we need an economy that works for everyone, not just the people at the top. We need policies that help the people I’ve met during this campaign: The farmers struggling to get by. The moms and dads who are worried about their kids’ futures. The millworkers and others who have been laid off, or fear that the next pink slip handed out in Maine will be their own.

My opponent and I have plenty of disagreements. They are and should be fair game. But no voter in Somerset County is served well by smear campaigns and lies. We all deserve better.

Jeff McCabe, D-Skowhegan, is the House majority leader. He is running against Rodney Whittemore, R-Skowhegan, in Senate District 3.

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