With his relaxed but earnest manner familiar to people in Gorham, Shawn Moody looked back on his recent run for governor of Maine. Although Moody easily won the Republican primary in June, he was defeated by Democrat Janet Mills on Election Day. He still believes that “the biggest challenge in Maine is extending government services that can cause an increase in taxes and discourage young people from staying in the state.” As governor, he had hoped to “reform government to operate more efficiently.”

Moody said that although he won 300 towns, including Gorham, they were predominately rural. He sees the “two Maines” less as dividing north and south, but as separating the growing urban/coastal region from the more rural parts of the state.

“New people have a different vision for Maine,” he said, “and the economy is changing. Forty years ago there were 13 dairy farms in Gorham.”

The part of the campaign Moody most enjoyed was “seeing and meeting people from the whole state.” He said this made him aware of the different challenges people face, particularly different economic problems and the rural opioid crisis. He felt he was most effective and comfortable meeting people in small groups where “it was easier to connect with them.”

Although Moody was pleased that there was little negativity in the way the gubernatorial candidates conducted themselves, he felt that national political issues were a problem for all the candidates, particularly since the Kavanaugh confirmation put a focus on Maine. The fractious political climate and the amount of money involved in campaigns, he believes, can “discourage honest, hardworking people from public service.”

Now back in Gorham managing his successful business, Moody is still very concerned with small business issues. He wants to stay “informed and involved in Maine’s future, par- ticularly for young people.” He is actively engaged in working to promote educational opportunities for students who want to develop marketable skills.

Although the Gorham Times took no position on the campaign, Moody commented that he appreciated the paper for “its positive outlook, for promoting good civic discourse, and for representing the community well.”

“Gorham is still the best town in the state,” he said.