Q & A with Julie Eaton and Genevieve McDonald

Two lobster boat captains vying for Democratic nomination for state rep

- LESLIE LANDRIGAN

STONINGTON—It isn’t often that two women lobster boat captains run for office, let alone against each other in a primary. Julie Eaton of Deer Isle is challenging incumbent Genevieve McDonald of Stonington for the House District 134 seat. To delineate the differences between the two candidates, we have asked each of them to answer the following questions.

Please give Gov. Mills a letter grade (A to F) for her handling of the COVID-19 crisis and explain why.

McDonald: Governor Janet Mills deserves an A grade for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has done a remarkable job of keeping Mainers safe and I am thankful to have a governor who prioritizes science and public health. It has undoubtedly not been an easy task, these are unprecedented times and our Governor has risen to the challenge.

Eaton: I would have to give her an A, and the reason being that we’re dealing with an unprecedented situation here that there is no guidebook for. She really had to punt in a hurry to try to keep us safe. I think she did remarkably well. Without her guidance we would have had more cases. Hindsight is always 20-20, and now that we’ve been through this we can do better next time.

Budget cuts are coming. What can the state least afford to cut? Most afford to cut?