Rep. Dan Ankeles

On Friday Olive and I got to attend the dedication of the gardens and outdoor facilities at the new Tedford Shelter. I am glad our state’s supplemental budget funds all kinds of housing related items, including funding for Maine’s shelter system. The completion of the outdoor facilities enhances the shelter’s ability to provide the calm, family-friendly environment and peace of mind people need to get back on a path they can feel good about.

I probably should have taken some photos with the actual people who did the work like Andrew Lardie, but everyone went gaga over the puppy:

“Awwwww, who’s this cutie pie??”

“Oh wow - look at those paws. She’s gonna be BIG!”

“Oh Dan! Did you bring your new campaign manager?” 

Anyway, notice the amazing mural behind us, an excellent use of art as an act of welcoming and a signal of safety. 

Last week was a horrific week for Maine first responders, culminating in the devastation in Searsmont. My heart goes out to the affected communities, especially the family of Andrew Cross. This is a good moment to reflect on everything the Brunswick Maine Fire Department does for us each day and say thank you.

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It looks like the Town Council will be voting next Monday on whether to set a public hearing on June 1 to consider a data center moratorium.  I don’t typically weigh in on specific Council proposals, but I would strongly encourage people’s support for this particular measure. A locally-generated patchwork network of timeouts is the only way to buy enough time for my colleagues and I to adopt a statewide regulatory framework that properly lays out the conditions under which a data center could open here in Maine. And again, this is not saying no. It is saying “hey, you need to wait until we can guarantee that people don’t get taken advantage of and that our resources don’t get exploited without proper restitution or restoration efforts.” My advice to the Council is to have the moratorium sunset itself roughly when the sunset in LD 307 would have taken place. Then take a second look at the issue once the rules are in place, and people can weigh the costs and benefits on those terms. 

Maine Wardens do such an important job, and I am heartbroken to hear about the plane crash in Avon today. My condolences to the family of the warden (yet to be identified).

We are heartbroken to share that a Maine Game Warden died this morning following a plane crash in Avon, near Schoolhouse Pond. The crash occurred at approximately 11:00 a.m.

This is a devastating loss for the Maine Warden Service, our Department, and the people of Maine. Our thoughts are with the family, loved ones, colleagues, and all those impacted by this tragedy.

We will share additional information as it becomes available.

Hello Brunswick, ballots for the June 9 primaries for all of the offices are available starting today, but I really would recommend people wait until tomorrow so that the school budget referendum ballots will also be ready. Smarter to do both at once and not risk missing out on the chance to use your voice. To request a ballot over the phone, you can call the town clerk at 725-6658, you can visit the town office during regular business hours to either vote early or pick up a ballot to bring home, or you can go to either the town clerks webpage or the Secretary of State’s webpage to do an online request. Any absentee ballots need to be back at the town office by 8 PM on Tuesday, June 9. There is a dropbox in front of the town office that is accessible 24-7. And again, this account does not care how you vote but just wants to empower you to advocate for yourselves and encourage high turnout for its own sake. If you have questions about how ranked-choice voting works for the primaries or any other election questions, let me know. 

I do hope everyone takes yesterday‘s post as it was clumsily offered: as a forum to constructively discuss and share info about an issue that people clearly feel strongly about. As I’ve tried to remind people and myself in the past, we’re all neighbors, and it’s not worth letting social media get in the way of that. Here is a picture of Olive (now 12 weeks old) to spread calm Mothers Day vibes. The ultimate shameless politician move: distract with cute puppy. 🐶

Thanks to everyone who reached out yesterday during the scheduled acrobatic flying over Brunswick. While it was advertised on the town website, I understand that many folks are annoyed (me too!). This weekend I will be conversing with some of my counterparts on the Town Council to get a sense of where things stand and what if any remedies are available to us at the state and local levels that have not already been attempted. There may not be a whole lot there, but it would certainly be great to find the appropriate balance between some expectation of peace and “yes, our town has an airport.”

The Clerk of the House just sent members their attendance reports for the session, and I’m happy to say that I have now made it through two full terms (four years) without missing a single vote. Once again, I want to thank my immediate and extended family, our neighbors, all the parents of my kids’ friends, everyone we got to watch the children, and - a couple of times - our staff when school got cancelled on a session day. It took a lot of people to make sure our district had a say in every single matter before the Legislature, and I really appreciate the opportunity they provided. 

Hi Brunswick! Heads up that the Town Council's latest agenda notes that absentee ballots for the June 9 primary will be available starting Monday, May 11. You can vote in person or take home your ballot during regular Town Office hours, call 725-6658 and ask the Clerk's office to mail you a ballot, or request your ballot online (https://absenteeballotrequest.sos.maine.gov/).

The only note of caution is that Brunswick has a school budget referendum on the same day as the primary, so it's best to make sure they have sent that budget out to voters before voting early. That way you can get both done at once and won't have to worry about dealing with this process twice. That Council action is scheduled for May 11, so it might be worth waiting until Tuesday the 12th for your own convenience and to maximize turnout for both our state and our local ballot.

State of Maine Online Absentee Ballot Request & Tracking Service Registered Maine voters may use this free service to request an absentee ballot for the June 09, 2026 State Primary. Ballots must be received no later than 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Election Day.

Good evening Brunswick! Tonight the legislature adjourned its session for the year. I will have a lot more to say on all of the things we worked on (both good and bad) in future posts, but suffice it to say I am really really looking forward to spending more time with all of you, with our family, and with Olive, our new legislative Labrador retriever.

I might have mentioned this before, but I’ve got a big old spreadsheet for bill ideas for the next legislature, which convenes in December, and I would love you all to help me build it and refine it through conversation and communication. It takes months of meetings and research to get these bills into shape, so it’s never too early to start.

The staff members who work with me will also be available as always to help with constituent questions and navigating any part of state government.

Thank you to everybody this winter and spring who advocated for and against bills you care about. If I missed getting back to you, I do apologize. Please feel free to nudge me again.

The work does not end (which, is OK because I don’t get tired), and it remains an honor to represent you all in the House. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.