I am a lifelong Democrat and I’m not sure I’ve ever voted for anyone other than a Democrat. That is, until I came to know Rick Bennett.

Rick and I happen to attend the same church. I have served with him on committees, sung beside him in the choir and worshiped with him in the pews.

Rick Bennett is someone who truly cares about people. Recently I watched him step forward from the congregation and manage a crisis caused when someone texted a suicide threat to the pastor during a service. This turned out to be a hoax, but while the rest of us were uncertain what to do, Rick acted compassionately and decisively, resolving the situation.

I know him to be a man of integrity because I have witnessed his fidelity to his word. I have been especially impressed by his commitment to preserving the natural resources of Maine, his ability to forge responsible compromise among people with differing viewpoints and his openness to new ways of solving long-entrenched problems. This is one lifelong Democrat who will be voting for independent Rick Bennett in November’s election for Maine’s governor.

Scott Campbell
Paris