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State Rep. Cheryl Golek is running for her third term representing Harpswell and eastern Brunswick as a Democrat. She lives on Harpswell Neck, where she and her partner run The Vicarage by the Sea, a residential care center for people with dementia. She spoke to the Anchor in her kitchen. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Harpswell Anchor: Tell us about yourself and why you are running.
Cheryl Golek: I grew up in poverty in Cook’s Corner, where the former Regal Cinemas is now. I spent six years couch-hopping and on the streets as a teenager. I was a single mom with a couple kids for a couple years. Now I have two adult boys and two school-age girls. I’ve worked at restaurants and in retail. We opened The Vicarage by the Sea in 1998.
I never intended on running. Paul LePage ran (for governor in 2010) and I lost my mind a little. Our backgrounds are not that different. I wouldn’t have been where I was without the social programs, even with their broken steps.
I was advocating in the State House starting in 2016. That work reinforced that government works for the people. I saw populations that weren’t being represented. I realized how important our stories are, our lived experiences. We get better policy if we base it in real experience.
HA: What legislative accomplishments are you most proud of, and why?
CG: Housing is my big issue. I worked on several bills related to manufactured homes. One was L.D. 1723. It limited how much and how often landlords could raise rent or fees.
I’ve been fighting for fair taxation since 2016. This year we got a millionaire’s tax. (Note: Starting in 2027, income over $1 million for individuals or $1.5 million for joint filers will see an additional 2% tax.) That was a highlight of the second session.
HA: What would be your top priorities if you are reelected?
CG: I knocked on 4,000 doors in my first campaign, and I’ve knocked on 1,000 doors each term since. I ask people, what is one big concern at the state level? Housing is what I hear.
HA: How should the state address Maine’s (and Harpswell’s) shortage of affordable housing?
CG: I hope the state can do something to make building affordable housing less costly. I’m working on building 14 units of affordable housing on land my grandmother owned in Cook’s Corner. The rent cap means an owner can’t change the budget ceiling to cope with inflation. Maybe the state can change building codes while still keeping homes safe.
HA: How can the state better support the marine economy, in Harpswell and beyond?
CG: I think one of the biggest things we can do is make more of the waterfront accessible. And that has to be a collaboration between the state and local governments.
We need to keep generational opportunities. I own a business. I can pass that to my kids. A lobsterman with a license can’t do that. I think there’s an injustice in that.
I think one of the biggest things we can do is make more of the waterfront accessible, and that has to be a collaboration between the state and local governments. After the 2024 storms, the town came to me with proposed legislation about rebuilding the working waterfront. That grew from Harpswell to the whole state.
HA: Does the state provide adequate support for public schools? If not, where are the shortcomings and how should they be addressed?
CG: I think the state can increase the percentage of school budgets that it funds. (Note: The state is directed but not required to fund 55% of school budgets.) We can’t keep just raising property taxes. And we should look at a more permanent, fixed structure. Janet Mills fully funded them at 55%, but I don’t want that to be left up to each administration.
Each year I’ve put a bill in to get a childcare center in each district as a benefit to employees. And big businesses could help, too. Bath Iron Works is doing something similar (with the Bath Area Family YMCA).
HA: Harpswell’s emergency services are adapting to change. What is the state’s role in ensuring that adequate emergency services are available?
CG: I worked with Harpswell Neck Fire and Rescue on a bill, but it didn’t pass. The bill said that towns could license their own emergency medical services volunteers, rather than sending them to a training center. Towns shouldn’t have to pay to become a training center. We could do that. Departments did training that way before. I’ll have that bill waiting for me.
HA: What else do you want voters to know about you?
CG: I really enjoy what I do. I really did this to give back to the community I was born and raised in. It’s hard, but I also love it.
There’s an idea that we as politicians — as parties — don’t get along. In Maine, we do. Thousands of bills have full bipartisan support. I worked on affordable housing with Rick Bennett. (Note: Bennett is a state senator and longtime Republican now running for governor as an independent).
