Mary Mayhew in 2018 ME Governor's race
On Education:
Parents should have access to multiple education choices
Every parent should have the right to decide how their own children should be educated. There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution that will work for every student-kids have different needs and I'm a firm advocate
for parents having all the choices, including public and private schools, in-classroom and virtual charter schools, and home schooling options. I'd also like to see more options for students inside of our current framework.
Source: 2018 Maine governor candidate website MayhewForMaine.com
May 2, 2018
On Homeland Security:
Veterans should get all benefits earned, in a timely manner
My team began screening for military service to make sure our veterans receive the benefits that they've earned when they return home from defending our freedom. I would advocate for transparency and accountability in the delivery of services
to support timely access to healthcare services. It is not right that a veteran should have to travel out of state and away from family for inpatient psychiatric services and other healthcare services that are readily available at home in Maine.
Source: 2018 Maine governor candidate website MayhewForMaine.com
May 2, 2018
On Environment:
Environmental stewardship that also respects businesses
Maine's tourism and our beautiful environment are both important to Maine's economic future. But if businesses cannot compete with companies elsewhere because of overzealous environmental regulations, Maine's economy cannot be sustained on
tourism alone. There must be effective environmental stewardship that also respects and appreciates the importance of businesses. I'm in favor of conservation but concerned about the amount of property that has been removed from the tax rolls each year.
Source: Portsmouth Herald on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Apr 13, 2018
On Corporations:
Keeping government out of business creates good paying jobs
Mayhew said to retain a younger workforce, the state must allow for businesses to be able to provide good paying jobs. To do that, she again said government needs to stay out of the way and let businesses grow on their own.
She said government growing would destroy business opportunities, and to have vibrant communities and a robust economy, government needs to stay out of the way. "We've got to continue to move Maine forward," she said.
Source: Sun Journal on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial debate
Feb 27, 2018
On Gun Control:
Pro gun ownership and armed guards wherever needed
When asked about gun control, all candidates leaned toward remaining pro-gun ownership. Thibodeau said he was in favor of concealed carry, even in schools if the teacher wanted. He brought up the Feb. 14 shooting in a Florida school, saying that had
a coach been armed, it may have saved lives. Mayhew said she believes others should be afforded the same safety that legislators are given in the State House, where there is an armed officer in case of a dangerous opportunity.
Source: Sun Journal on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial debate
Feb 27, 2018
On Energy & Oil:
Wind energy needs transparent commission, not moratorium
Responding to LePage's recent move to set up a commission to review wind energy in Maine that isn't subject to public meeting laws, former Maine Health and Human Services Commissioner
Mary Mayhew called for "transparency in anything that government does." [Gov. LePage instituted a moratorium on new wind energy projects in January, with a new closed-door commission to determine future permitting].
Source: Bangor Daily News on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial debate
Feb 1, 2018
On Abortion:
Ban abortions after 20 weeks, like most developed nations
I am so disheartened that The U.S. Senate has refused to stand up for the lives of unborn babies by voting down a ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy earlier this week. Only 7 developed nations allow abortions at this stage of pregnancy,
and among those are North Korea and China, countries known for their human rights crimes. The United States should be a leader in protecting lives, not an outlier in allowing them to be ended.
Source: Facebook posting on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Jan 30, 2018
On Crime:
imprisonment for life as a deterrent to crime
LePage, and his welfare protege Mary Mayhew, have adopted the foolish and cruel position that poverty and crime can be eliminated by tightening the clenched fist. In their minds, cutting off funding for the poor and throwing drug offenders into
prison for life will scare society's ills away. People will stop choosing to be poor, sick or criminal if they are left to fend for themselves or fear incarceration, and instead they will choose to be healthy, productive members of society.
Source: Bangor Daily News on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Sep 18, 2017
On Tax Reform:
Cut tax burden for employers
Mayhew stated that her goal would be to revitalize Maine's economy, by downscaling government, welfare programs and taxes. "We need two things: we need to reduce taxes and promote employment as the pathway out of poverty.
Employers need a workforce that's ready to work, and they can succeed in Maine if we don't have a tax burden that is making it difficult for them to be prosperous," she said.
Source: Journal Tribune on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Aug 9, 2017
On Health Care:
Absolutely opposed to Medicaid expansion
Mayhew has adamantly opposed efforts to expand Medicaid, which she said will only increase the dependency of able-bodied adults on government entitlement programs, drain the state budget, and require cuts in services for the elderly and disabled.
Medicaid expansion "creates a golden circle around able-bodied adults," Mayhew said. Helping able-bodied adults return to the workforce should be the priority, which will leave more resources for the elderly and disabled, she said.
Source: The Lincoln County News on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Jul 5, 2017
On Welfare & Poverty:
Time limits on welfare benefits, to promote employment
For too long the 1996 federal welfare reforms of time limits and work requirements had been ignored--to the detriment of needy families. There is no doubt that the best way out of poverty is a job. This is what led to our enforcement of a 5-year
lifetime limit on TANF benefits. I was not surprised that the results of promoting work rather than discouraging it were shown to be dramatic and a stark contrast to the years of allowing people to remain in poverty, dependent on government assistance.
Source: Forbes Magazine interview on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Jun 1, 2017
On Drugs:
Joint effort needed to provide effective drug treatment
The lethal nature of the heroin coming into our state and the increasing presence of fentanyl pose an unprecedented crisis and challenge. We must work together to support efforts that provide access to effective treatment. Recently, while sitting
in on a group treatment session I heard from individuals working toward recovery. Many of their statements were echoed by their peers: They want their lives back, they want to be able to participate in treatment and they want to continue being employed.
Source: Press-Herald OpEd on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Apr 14, 2017
On Budget & Economy:
Reduce taxes by deep budget cuts including family services
Reduce taxes by deep budget cuts including family services
The department budget contains an overall cut of $139 million. Mayhew said that's part of the LePage administration's larger goal of reducing taxes, which it says will help Maine's economy. Opponents said the cuts would make it harder
Source: News Center Maine on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Feb 22, 2017
On Immigration:
Slash funds for new immigrants & asylum seekers
The Legislature's Appropriations Committee is working its way through Gov. LePage's proposed 2-year budget, which includes major cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services. Among them is the elimination of state funding for the General
Assistance program, and eliminating welfare benefits for many non-citizens, including new immigrants and asylum seekers. DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew told lawmakers those and other cuts are needed, so that DHHS can help state government reduce costs.
Source: News Center Maine on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Feb 22, 2017
On Welfare & Poverty:
Auditor: DHHS improperly managed federal welfare funds
Officials in Gov. LePage's administration were aware that a federal law prohibited their use of millions in federal welfare funds on services for the elderly. But DHHS [headed by Mayhew] justified the spending by developing a selective interpretation of
the relevant federal law. In October 2016, Maine's state auditor released a report highlighting "improper management of funds at the agency level," an "overly aggressive approach" to managing federal grants and "troublesome" financial practices.
Source: Bangor Daily News on 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race
Feb 7, 2017
Page last updated: Nov 12, 2019