With over 60 members in attendance, Gordon Colby, chairman of the Lincoln County Republican Committee, welcomed featured speaker Demi Kouzounas, newly elected chairman of the Maine State GOP on the evening of May 4 for a social gathering of local Republicans and elected officials at the American Legion Hall in Damariscotta. 

Chairman Kouzounas is a dentist and small businesswoman with nearly 30 employees at locations in Scarborough and Skowhegan. Along with her practice, Dr. Kouzounas also helped start “Bright Smiles,” a dental clinic for low-income children in Portland, and is co-founder of “Dentists Who Care For ME,” which provides a free day of dental care each year.

Kouzounas fired up the local crowd as she described Maine State GOP efforts to continue the successes of the past few years. Not happy with Democrats and the Democrat controlled media who continually cast Republican efforts in a negative light, she described State GOP initiatives to fact check the media, hold Democrats accountable, and highlight new Maine GOP initiatives. The recent launch of “News That You Can Trust (NYCT),” a weekly video production that spotlights the efforts of the Party, is already having a positive effect.  NYCT has helped to keep a spotlight on the ethical shortcomings of Democrat Rep. Ryan Tipping for conflict of interest and former state representative and organizer for the Maine People’s Alliance Adam Goode for lobbying efforts inside the State House. 

Representative Deb Sanderson (District 88) and Jeff Pierce (District 53) along with Knox Count Rep. Paula Sutton (District 95) spoke about their efforts in Augusta to maintain fiscal responsibility while addressing the core issues facing their constituents, and County Commissioner Ham Meserve talked about local county issues. Kouzounas and Rep. Pierce both mentioned the Democrats’ so called Opportunity Agenda. The Democrat agenda represents the largest spending increase in Maine history, and if passed, will produce massive budget shortfalls and return Maine to the days under Democrat control with regular headlines on the massive shortfalls in the Dept. of Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Education. Kouzounas contrasted that with Republican efforts to focus on solutions for the good of all Maine people.  She said “After years of trying to brand Republicans, Democrats have clearly become the party of No and the party that only believes in free speech if it is the speech they approve of.”  She asked all Republicans to “stay united and not let small differences distract us from our Republican core values, to continue to work for solutions, and to continue to be the Party that says ‘Yes, I can’.” 

The Lincoln County Republican Committee will meet again on May 24 at the Newcastle Community Center with a social hour at 6 p.m. and program at 7.  For more information about Maine State GOP, NYCT, and other State GOP initiatives, go to MaineGOP.com, or for information about the Lincoln County Republican Committee, go to lincolncountyrepublicans.org or follow the committee on Facebook at facebook.com/lincolncountymainerepublicans.