Hall announces re-election bid

WILTON – Representative Randy Hall (R-Wilton) has announced that he will be seeking a second term in Maine House District 114 this fall. Hall, a cattle farmer and maple syrup producer, sits on the Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee and serves as Chief of the East Dixfield Fire Department.

“In times like these front-line workers are the ones keeping the economy going,” he said. “Whether that’s growing and selling food, keeping people safe, or caring for the sick. As a state, we need to support these workers, get behind the work they do, and go to bat for them while they’re doing it. It’s a shame it took an outbreak for many people to realize everything the men and women on the front lines do, but it is also a positive sign that people are starting to see just how important these workers are.”

Hall went on to say that Maine farmers have a major role to play in the coronavirus recovery effort.

“People want to know where their food is coming from, who grew it, who raised it, who processed it, whose making sure it’s top quality,” he said. “As a Legislature we need to really make sure that Maine farmers have the tools, the resources, and the full support of our state government at their side. We need to make sure that they can invest in themselves and their farms and workers, rebuild markets, and fill that pent-up demand for locally grown food. Farming employs tens of thousands of Mainers, and those are good, homegrown jobs that we can’t afford to lose, especially in rural Maine.”

Hall said that the virus has brought into focus the role Maine’s small, volunteer fire departments play.

“It’s a lot more than driving a big red truck that makes a lot of noise,” he said. “It’s working with emergency services, responding to anything from a brush fire to a house fire to a lift assist. For me, it’s about keeping everyone safe, making sure they have the PPE that they need to do that job safely, making sure that they have all the training that they can get. That’s been a nightmare during this outbreak, especially as everyone is struggling to get enough equipment to be able to respond, and our training facilities are sorely lacking. First responders take our jobs seriously, and have gone to bat for our firefighters every day since COVID-19 came onto the scene, and we are going to have to continue doing so long after we’ve got the upper hand on this invisible enemy.”

Hall said that small, rural fire departments that operate on a shoestring are particularly challenging.

“We have been very fortunate so far to keep this virus at arm’s length,” he said. “But we don’t have the resources in our small towns, across rural regions of the state, to really push back if there’s a huge spike. That needs to change going forward. We need to make sure our departments are ready for anything when it comes instead of having to play catch up, or we are going to see even more departments fold up and be absorbed into the Forest Service, which is also spread way to thin as it is.”

Hall represents the communities of Chesterville, Industry, New Vineyard, Strong, Temple and Wilton. To find out more about his campaign, contact Hall at 860-8431 or by email at edfdchief@hotmail.com.