Stand With Ethan for Maine's Future

Bobby Monks, Cape Elizabeth

Dear Friends,

On Sunday, with nearly two hundred supporters packing the room, I had the privilege of standing behind State Senator Ethan Strimling as he announced the formation of his Congressional Exploratory Committee. If you weren't there- I wish you had been. The feeling that something new and exciting is happening in Maine politics was everywhere.

As a businessperson, entrepreneur, and founder of Democracy Maine, an organization dedicated to fighting extremism in politics, I am honored that Ethan has asked me to serve as Chair of his Congressional Exploratory Committee. In the coming weeks and months I will be working side by side with Ethan doing everything I can to make sure he becomes a viable candidate. I hope you will be there too.

I am writing today to ask you to join Ethan's team.

I'm asking for your help because we need new energy in Maine politics. Someone who will stand up and fight for the values we Democrats know will make America a better place. This is a critical time in our country's history, and it is clear that we cannot leave our collective future in the hands of the old guard. It's time for something new.

Ethan first showed me that he leads ahead of the curve when, four years ago, he sponsored a resolution against the war in Iraq. In that moment, Ethan proved to me that he would stand up for what is right, even in the face of opposition.

In 2003, six weeks before the bombs fell, the Maine Senate became the first statewide legislative body in the nation to pass a resolution calling on George W. Bush to halt his impending attack on Iraq. Ethan led the passage of the resolution only 2 months into his first term in the Legislature, but long before opposition to the war in Iraq became popular.

That sort of insight and courage is rare in politics today.

I know that Ethan will bring that same leadership and energy to Washington and that is why I wanted to write you today. I feel strongly that he is the best person to represent Maine values in Congress.

And that is where YOU come in.

I hope you'll stand with Ethan as he looks ahead to Maine's future.

Sincerely,

Bobby Monks
Chair, Strimling Congressional Exploratory Committee