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Greene Democrat Enters Race Against Sabattus Candidate Who Insulted Florida Teens

Maine Democratic Party

Maine Democrats have announced that a party member from Greene will run against a Republican Maine State House candidate from Sabattus, Leslie Gibson, who has been criticized for calling one Florida school shooting survivor a "skinhead lesbian" and another "a bald faced liar."

Democrat Eryn Gilchrist is a political newcomer who works for a medical device company in Bowdoin.

Maine Democratic Party Chair Phil Bartlett says Gilchrist was moved by Gibson's comments.

“She really was upset, as I think we all were, and felt it didn't represent the values of her community,” says Bartlett. “She came forward and was excited to step up to the plate and run for office to take him on.”

Gibson had been running unopposed for the District 57 seat. Democratic Sabattus Planning Board Chair David Gilbert also submitted signatures to get on the ballot, but says he'll withdraw his paperwork.

Today is the deadline to turn in signatures to run in the November elections, and many candidates for both parties are filing today all over the state.

“I think it's really important that we're seeing people all over the state who are really coming up, stepping forward to run for office this year,” says Bartlett. “It's a real opportunity to make sure the values of maine people are properly represented at the statehouse.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2018 at 4:04 p.m. ET.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.
Nora is originally from the Boston area but has lived in Chicago, Michigan, New York City and at the northern tip of New York state. Nora began working in public radio at Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor and has been an on-air host, a reporter, a digital editor, a producer, and, when they let her, played records.