2008 Woodie Awards
UM alum aspires to fill Old Town seat
Suphatra Paravichai
Issue date: 9/30/04 Section: News
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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.