Dear Editor:

As a first time candidate for House District 89 (Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport, Edgecomb, Westport Island and South Bristol), I’ve been surprised by the number of candidate questionnaires I’ve received from the press, lobbying groups, and other organizations. As someone who believes in transparency and open government, I’ve tried to respond to them all with clear answers that reflect my positions and beliefs. Many questionnaires are screening tools for endorsements. I’m pleased to have received endorsements from the Maine Education Association, Maine AFL-CIO and the Sierra Club.

However, one questionnaire from a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization called Vote Smart (www.votesmart.org) requested information about my positions to post on their website alongside information on all candidates running in local, state and national elections. In these days of media sound bites and “gotcha” moments, it’s refreshing to be able to access factual information on candidates. It’s also why I feel going door to door to speak with voters is an important part of any campaign. There’s something real about having a face to face conversation about issues and answering questions when you’re looking someone in the eye.

I hope voters will attend the upcoming Great State Debate at the Opera House on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. It’s a great opportunity to go beyond pamphlets and signs to hear directly from all the candidates so you can compare and contrast our ideas, positions and experience. But in the meantime, I encourage voters to check out Vote Smart.

Wendy J. Wolf

West Boothbay Harbor

Independent Candidate for Maine HD89