Raised in New Gloucester and now raising her family here, Colleen is dedicated to creating a town government that listens to its residents' evolving needs. She's volunteered within the community her whole life, from the Strawberry Festival to the Library Board, and more—and now, she's stepping forward to do what she can to help the community she loves.

Colleen hopes to provide a new perspective and fresh set of eyes on the Select Board. “I grew up in New Gloucester and I love this town, my husband and I chose to raise our kids here because of the community. I haven’t been active in government before, but in recent years I have felt the need to speak out on local issues, such as funding for the Library,” says Colleen. “If you look back through recent history, we have had so many of the same people making decisions on behalf of the town. I think it is important to have a broad variety of opinions and voices, and I think I can be a new voice. I want to see our town continue to be a lovely place to live, and maintain the small town feel, at the same time I think that we can provide additional ways to strengthen our community.”

Updated: Colleen won the select board seat! Congratulations, we’re excited to for your term!

Anne Gass is running for the District 104 seat in the Maine House of Representatives, which includes all of New Gloucester and part of Gray. While not a Democrat, Anne’s spirit of bringing communities together, supporting women’s rights (including reproductive freedoms), supporting working families and seniors, building livable communities, and fighting climate change align far more with Democratic values than do the values of her Republican opponent, Amy Arata.

As the incumbent, Amy Arata actively has voted against women’s rights, climate change, and equity and inclusion for marginalized communities.

Bettyann Sheats is running for the District 20 seat in the Maine Senate, which includes Auburn, Poland, New Gloucester, and Durham. This is the current seat of Democrat Ned Claxton, who has decided not to run again. Bettyann embodies Democratic values of supporting working Mainers, improving access to services (such as broadband and healthcare) to all, and finding common sense solutions to complex problems across our state.

Bettyann is especially passionate about Veteran’s issues, having served as a U.S. Army Helicopter Pilot. She’s worked to expand access to veteran helathcare services, obtain funding for Maine’s only female veteran homeless shelter, expand veteran treatment courts, and more.

On the November ballot will be an option to approve or reject the New Gloucester Town Charter. The charter was written by a Charter Commission made up of six elected members and three members appointed by the Municipal Board. The goal of the charter is to be the basic document that defines the organizations, powers, functions, and essential procedures of New Gloucester.

The New Gloucester Democratic Committee voted not to officially endorse nor reject the town charter. Instead, we recognize and celebrate the diverse voices, personal values, and independent analysis that drives our members’ opinions on the charter. This is a complex issue and we encourage all voters to educate themselves on the background and content of the charter, and vote according to their personal values and vision for New Gloucester.