State senate race heats up in Biddeford

By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

This year’s District 32 State Senate race could become a crowded affair.

So far, three candidates have announced their intentions to seek the senate seat that represents Biddeford, Arundel, Dayton, Lyman and Hollis in the Maine Legislature.

The Gazette learned this week that there is a possibility more candidates may be coming forward in the near future for that seat.

The declared candidates now include incumbent Democrat Henry Ingwersen of Arundel; Republican newcomer John Salamone of Hollis; and Independent Jason Litalien, an unenrolled attorney from Biddeford.

We spoke recently with Ingwersen and Litalien, but Salamone was unavailable for an interview at press time, saying he would contact us in the near future.

Ingwersen, a retired public-school teacher and a beekeeper, is now serving his second consecutive term in the senate. He is senate chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and also serves on the on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee.

He previously served one term in the Maine House of Representatives from 2018 to 2020, saying he got into politics because of his “frustration” with President Donald Trump, a brash and outspoken Republican.

Ingwersen, 75, says he hopes to win a third term in the senate in order to continue working on issues that matter to his constituents.

“I’m running to continue the work that I’ve always done to build a stronger, more affordable and caring Maine that brings our communities together,” Ingwersen said. “Now, in these impossible times, I feel more strongly than ever before that I am called to support affordable, accessible health care for all, fight for funding for affordable child care for Maine families, take on food insecurity by supporting universal free school meals, and much more.”

He said he enjoys listening to my constituents, and helping them when he is able. “It is what I do, and will keep doing.” Ingwersen said.

Litalien, 50, told the Gazette that he places a strong value on community service.

“Ever since I was a little boy, I have wanted to serve the public,” he said. “Right now, the political climate is so toxic, and that’s why I’m running as an independent candidate. We have to stop pointing fingers at each other and focus on meeting the needs of Maine people.”

Litalien, a veteran who served in the United States Air Force, made his name well-known in the city by running a very strong challenge against former Mayor Alan Casavant in 2019, losing that race by only 107 votes (2,234-2127).

Two years prior, Litalien ran against Casavant as a write-candidate and received only 78 votes.

In 2023, Litalien challenged and lost to former police chief Roger Beaupre for the Ward Three seat on the city council.

Litalien said his number one issue is public education.

“We need to take a serious look at why our students all across Maine are scoring below national averages,” he said.

But education is not Litalien’s only concern.

“It is an atrocity to see all the new taxes that our representatives are approving in Augusta,” Litalien said.

Litalien blames many of Maine’s problems on what he described as a fractured and dysfunctional two-party system.

“What matters to me is fixing the problem, not the color of your necktie,” he said. “Too many people are now blinded by party lines and party allegiance.”

Litalien said today’s publics school students are being taught what to think rather than how to think.

“We have some of the highest per-pupil costs in the country and some of the lowest student test scores,” he said. “That just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Both Ingwersen and Litalien are running as Clean Election candidates as opposed to traditionally funded campaigns.

“I don’t like owing anyone, and this way I am not beholden to anyone or any special interest,” Litalien said.

Ingwersen has previously described Maine’s Clean Elections program as “a valuable tool” that opens the doors to more candidates who might not otherwise be able to seek public office.  “It levels the playing field,” he said.

Ingwersen said he is proud of his accomplishments over the last four years in the senate, pointing to his commitment to fully funding MaineCare and sponsoring a bill to create a network of regional resource hubs to connect child care providers, employers, and families.

He also pointed to a bill he sponsored that would continue the Child Care Employment Award to help pay the child care tuition of those employed as child care professionals.

“I opposed proposed budget cuts to child care worker wage supplements, child care tuition coverage, and Head Start funding, making sure that they were put back into the budget,” Ingwersen said.

When it comes to Maine’s economy, Ingwersen said he worked hard to maintain the state’s commitment to cities and towns by keeping revenue sharing at five percent and funding 55 percent of K-12 education.

“Prior to 2018, revenue sharing was at two percent, and state funding for education was at 49 percent. We increased both of these things over the years and have embedded them in the budget,” Ingwersen said.

There’s a lot more that needs to be done to help the people of Maine, Ingwersen said.

Litalien said the Legislature needs to be “more creative” in addressing problems, and stop creating new taxes such as a recent new tax levied on streaming services such as Netflix.

“When it comes to Augusta, it’s just taxes, taxes and more taxes,” Litalien said. “It has to stop. It’s not sustainable for hard-working Maine families.”

For more information about Ingwersen’s campaign, you may visit his website, Henry for Senate.

For more information about Litalien’s campaign, you may visit his website, Jason for Maine

For more information about Salamone’s campaign, you may visit his website, Salamone for Senate.

This story will be updated as the campaigns continue and new information becomes available.

Correction: Prior to 2018, the state share local K-12 public schools was at 49 percent, not 55 percent which is today’s rate. It was a clerical error, and the story has been updated. We apologize for the mistake

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He has been covering Biddeford news and politics for nearly three decades. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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