By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
CASWELL — Rep. Bernard Ayotte of Caswell was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2006 to represent District 3, which includes the towns of Caswell, Grand Isle, Hamlin, Limestone, New Sweden, Van Buren, Woodland and Cyr Plantation, plus the unorganized territory of Connor Township.
Ayotte earned his bachelor’s degree in biology at St. Francis College — now the University of New England. He taught biology and mathematics before becoming principal of New Sweden Elementary School. He has also owned and operated a sawmill for 32 years and is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Ayotte and his wife, Priscilla, have three children and four grandchildren.
Despite what he describes as a “low-key personality,” Ayotte was encouraged by many to run for the legislature. Recognizing the opportunity to establish change in state government, he decided to run after his retirement from education. He was defeated in his first run in 2004, but was elected in 2006 and has served three consecutive terms.
According to Ayotte, his main goal as a state representative is to create an atmosphere in all of Maine that is conducive to new business.
“Your religion and family identify you,” Ayotte stated, “but your self-worth many times is contingent upon your job. When you have a job, you can participate in life. Jobs are extremely important.”
Ayotte’s record on pro-business voting recently received a rating of 82.19 from the Maine Economic Research Institute. A rating over 75 indicates very strong support for business and the Maine economy.
The new ratings, released in late September, are based mostly on 20 individual bills whose outcomes were determined by roll call votes. The MERI score also includes a “qualitative factor” that rates legislators on such things as committee work and action on bills that had no roll calls.
The bill Ayotte is most proud of sponsoring is LD 771, which has the purpose of establishing the St. John Valley Regional Commission as an entity to help start-up businesses and thereby help create jobs. Ayotte advised the goals of the bill are to aid entrepreneurs with writing business plans, finding financing, locations and trained employees for their business and a market for their products.
Ayotte is also a senior member of the Environment and Natural Resource Committee. He asserts he has worked very hard, with other members of the committee, to maintain clean water, air and land quality, while at the same time, attempting to never discourage the creation of jobs by over-regulating.
Feeling there are many issues that transcend political parties, and not being one to “follow the crowd,” Ayotte makes it clear that he doesn’t hesitate to work and vote across party lines when he feels it’s for the overall benefit of his district.
Ayotte also takes pride in the fact that he has never asked the taxpayers of Maine to contribute to his election and claims to have returned every check he has ever received from any special interest group.
Due to term limits, if Ayotte is re-elected this year, this will be his fourth and final term.
Editor’s note: A candidate profile on Gail Maynard of Woodland, who is also seeking the District 4 House of Representatives seat, ran in the Aroostook Republican & News on May 30.
