Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
This past spring, the residents of Old Town may have answered a knock on their door to see a tall, well-dressed young man before them. They soon befriended Matthew Gagnon, a 24-year-old University of Maine graduate with aspirations of representing District 14, which consists of Old Town & Indian Island.
Its not unusual to see Matthew Gagnon on public display. In his years as a UMaine political science major, Gagnon made himself famous for building a solid foundation for a previously-shaky UMaine Student Government. Through his two-year vice presidency, he single-handily revised numerous landmark documents, created new positions and branches, as well as chaired numerous committees.
Gagnon could also be seen sporting the Greek letters of Sigma Phi Epsilon, running the College Republicans’ meetings and frequently appearing in the headlines of many articles for The Maine Campus. And pretty soon, neither will the residents of Old Town. Having already personally introduced himself to a plethora of the citizens, Gagnon is now embarking on an even more aggressive campaign including promotions of all tangible kinds: pins, posters, bumper stickers, magnets and other gimmicks.
Gagnon runs on the platforms based on the concerns he heard while running his door-to-door campaign in the June primary. On the forefront stands Maine’s economical situation, which closely links his second concern, the support for Maine’s higher education. Gagnon sees these two issues as “strongly linked,” citing that success in either issue depends on the success of the other.
Gagnon’s opponent is county commissioner Dick Blanchard. Gagnon shrugs off questions regarding his opponent’s advantage because of age, connections and experiences.
“I think my age is an advantage and a disadvantage. If you ask some of the elderly citizens of the district, they might be inclined to say they’re looking for someone with more experience. And about everyone else looks at my age as an asset, because of my youth and enthusiasm. It just depends on who you ask,” he said.
In the experience versus enthusiasm debate, spectators tend to ask the younger opponent if his experience as a political science major can compensate for actual experience in the real world. Or at least, if it helps move along the career path.
The college graduate and aspiring politician, answering as equivocally as possible, reports that though he found the political science program “interesting and innovative,” nothing compares to the real life experience an actual campaign allows.
“The education you get in a college classroom is invaluable … but the actual dive into the real world of experience is where you can make your mistakes and truly learn,” Gagnon said. While he admits he is still learning from this political experience, he is eagerly awaiting Election Day, a day he hopes will be the first day of a long career in politics.
“I’ve always been interested in politics. My interest strengthened during my years in Student Government and my major in political science, but what keeps it afloat is who I am,” Gagnon said.
Bangor Daily News