Dear Editor:

Canvassing voters throughout Lincoln County has offered me the opportunity to visit with folks from across the economic spectrum: farmers, fishermen, retired and employed, white-, blue-, green-, and even pink-collar workers.

Here are two snapshots from my interactions:

- A young woman answers the door with a generous smile riven with untreated tooth decay—a reminder that dental care isn’t a luxury. It’s healthcare.

- After my knock, a disabled fisherman struggles, but finally reaches the door on two canes. We talk at length about Democrats offering a hand up, not a handout.

These brief encounters illustrate why we need Troy Jackson in the U.S. Senate. Troy has worked his way up from modest beginnings in The County, reckoning with the broad range of life-challenges that people—real working people, not DC lobbyists—face.

Troy Jackson believes that our government should work for the many, not a privileged few.

Let’s replace Susan Collins with Troy Jackson. Maine needs a senator who understands us—and stands with us.

Geoff Bates

South Bristol