About — sullebargerformainesenate

Bob Sullebarger for Maine Senate

I’m Bob Sullebarger, and I’m running for State Senate because I believe deeply in the strength and future of rural Maine. This place is home—not just where we live, but who we are. We are people who work hard, look out for our neighbors, and never back down from a challenge. But today, too many families in Farmington, Anson, St. Albans, New Sharon—and across District 5— are doing everything right and still coming up short. Over the last decade, the cost of groceries, heating oil, electricity, childcare, and housing has outpaced wages. Healthcare feels further away and more expensive than ever. And our small towns—our Main Streets—have been overlooked for too long.

We deserve better. And if you send me to Augusta, here’s what I’ll fight for. First, we have to tackle the cost of living. No one in rural Maine should have to choose between heating their home and feeding their family. I’ll work to expand property-tax relief, invest in weatherization and heat-pump programs to cut winter heating bills, and support more affordable housing in our towns.

Second, we must protect and strengthen rural healthcare. I’ll work to recruit and retain doctors, nurses, EMS, and mental-health professionals. We’ll expand telehealth and broadband so people can get care without long drives, and we’ll support the EMS and fire departments that hold our communities together.

Third, we need real economic development built for rural people. That means finishing broadband expansion, revitalizing our Main Streets, improving transportation connections, and supporting agriculture, outdoor recreation, and local manufacturing.

My promise to you is simple: I will judge every policy by one question—does it make life easier or harder for working families and seniors in rural Maine? We have everything we need to build a rural renaissance: strong people, strong values, strong communities. What we need now is strong representation. I’m ready to fight for District 5. With your help, we’ll build a future where our kids want to stay, our seniors can age with dignity, and every family has a fair shot.

Thank you for your support!

Priorities

Affordabilty

Housing supply is too low, driving up rents and home prices. We need to build more housing through zoning reform, ADUs, modular construction, and workforce housing incentives. Expand Maine Property Tax Fairness and Circuit Breaker relief. Reduce heating costs through Efficiency Maine, heat pump adoption, and weatherization. Expand statewide housing production targets, infrastructure tied to housing growth, bulk fuel cooperatives, and a rural housing trust fund.

Healthcare coverage

Move toward universal coverage that guarantees care regardless of job or income. Expand MaineCare buy‑in, create a public option, implement all‑payer rate setting, stabilize rural providers, and invest in preventive care.

Rural Economic Development

Grow rural opportunity through targeted business recruitment, broadband expansion, workforce housing, and technical training. Create a Central Maine Economic Development Zone to coordinate infrastructure investment, incentives, and workforce development — then expand this regional growth model statewide.

Education

Fully fund public education, expand career and technical programs, support teachers, invest in early childhood education, and modernize school infrastructure.