Staff Writer
HOULTON — Now that the primaries are over, the race has finally begun for candidates in Districts 8 and 9.
Republican and Democratic hopefuls are looking to fill current lawmakers’ seats in the November election. They all want the same thing — change.
Representative Richard Cleary is currently serving his first term as the District 8 representative. Cleary has only been in House for a year. District 8 covers Amity, Hodgdon, Houlton, Orient and Cary Plantation.
As a member of the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development, Cleary feels that economic development remains a vital issue for the towns that are within his district. Born in Houlton, Cleary grew up in Cary Plantation. He attended the University of Maine at Orono and the New England School of Law. He has a practice in Houlton. He is a member of the CHAMP mentoring program and vice president of the Aroostook Football League. Cleary enjoys hunting, fishing and cycling. He and his wife, Robin, have one daughter.
His opponents are eager to battle it out for the position and have become committed to earning the public’s vote in the next few months. Coming in, as the opposition candidates are Stanley Ginish of Houlton and Mary DeAnne Rogan, also of Houlton.
Ginish recently gained signature approval and is running as an Independent. He is a retired United States Navy (SEAL) GMG-1, Petty Officer 1st Class. He served with both Seal Team 1 and 2. Ginish also acted as liaison between Army and Naval training components. He received a Naval Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medals, and a Letter of Commendation from the US Army, National Defense, Pistol and Rifle. He is also a lifetime member of the Fraternal Order of UDT/SEAL Association, Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion.
Ginish has said in the past that the reason he was getting involved in politics was because he is “dissatisfied” and “disappointed” with how local governments were handling local issues.
He has stated that his goal would be to be more accountable to the public on matters pertaining to the people of the state of Maine. He has served on the Board of Budget Review for the town of Houlton as well as the Shiretown Development Corporation.
Coming in on his heals is Republican candidate Mary DeAnne Rogan.
Rogan has lived and worked in Houlton since 2000 with her two children. She came to Aroostook County from Washington, DC. She has worked as a teacher, law clerk and daycare provider in the past.
What does she “stand for?” Rogan says she supports “maintaining a respect for families and supporting a culture of life.” Also on her list of ideas is to lower Maine’s tax burden, find affordable health care for everyone, improve conditions for small business owners, encourage local control of education and to stop wasteful government spending.
She strives on her motto of “making your concerns, my concerns.”
“I’m going to spend the next couple of months going door-to-door and find out what it is that they want done and what they want changed and get a feel for what the people here want,” she explained. “I’m very conservative and I believe it’s important to have a conservative voice in Augusta. I feel God wants me to run and if I win, he wants me there, and if I don’t that’s how I feel.”
Rogan views herself as an “ordinary person” and a voice for the “middle-class” in Aroostook County.
“I’ve raised my kids by myself and I know what it’s like to have financial struggles and those type of things and hopefully I can bring that kind of insight to Augusta,” she remarked.
Also being challenged is Rep. Henry Joy of Crystal, who is seeking re-election to the Maine House of Representatives in District 9, which is made up of the towns of Bancroft, Crystal, Dyer Brook, Haynesville, Hersey, Island Falls, Linneus, Ludlow, Merrill, Mt. Chase, New Limerick, Oakfield, Patten, Sherman, Stacyville, Weston, Plantations of Glenwood, Macwahoc and Moro, as well as the Unorganized Territories of northern Penobscot and southern Aroostook which includes the populated unorganized towns of Benedicta, Grindstone, Herseytown, Molunkus, Silver Ridge and Smith Pond.
Joy is a retired educator who earned his bachelor’s degree from Ricker College and his master’s degree from the University of Maine at Orono. He served as teacher, Jr. High baseball, basketball and softball coach, assistant superintendent, superintendent and a term on an area school committee. He also served as administrator of the Milliken Memorial Hospital in Island Falls. He served 4 1/3 years in the United States Air Force and was named Outstanding Airman of the six months at RAF Station Lakenheath, England.
He has served on several policy committees during his seven terms in the Maine Legislature including; Aging Retirement and Veterans, Labor, Health and Human Services, Utilities and Energy, Natural Resources, State and Local Government. He currently serves as the ranking Republican on the State and Local Government Committee, the House Rules Committee and is also co-chairman of the Legislative Scholarship Committee, which through its fund-raising auction provides a $1,000 scholarship for one student from each county in the state.
Joy’s District 9 contender is Bo Zabierek of Sherman. Zabierek has worked on several campaigns over the last few years. He was asked by members of the Democratic Party to “step up to the plate” to be Joy’s opponent. 
“I think we need a new set of eyes and a new voice for southern Aroostook and northern Penobscot counties,” he explained. “I just think it’s time for a new direction.”
Zabierek hasn’t seen much of an economic improvement to the area and he thinks it’s time to move forward and bring in a presence for those who are suffering through an economic depression.
“I’ve seen a lot go downhill,” he explained. “I saw the turbulence in their lives. I’m hoping that my presence will be a positive one that will bring jobs to the district.”
Zabierek said that a “new business” way of thinking is something that needs to be introduced to the region. He said that it’s a tough situation that needs to be worked on.
“We have a situation where we’re lucky enough to send our kids to college, but they have to leave the area to find jobs,” he remarked. “It’s a self-defeating situation. Everybody wants better for their children and it’s tough when you don’t have something to bring them back to the county.”
Zabierek said he’s hoping to work with Rep. Cleary and gain guidance from him as well. He said it would be great if all of Aroostook County was Democratic, but that’s not his main focus.
“The big focus is to bring some jobs to this area and new economy jobs,” he explained. “To keep thinking that the mills are going to re-open and it’s going to be the way it was — that’s the old economy.”
Zabierek currently works as an Education Technician at Region 2. He has a bachelor of science degree in communications. His wife Suzie Kovats is a Spanish teacher at Kathadin High School. He and his wife purchased their home in Sherman 24 years ago and have been living there full-time for the last six years. He has two children who are both in college.
Tuesday, November 4 is Election Day.
