Ralph Chapman of Brooksville has announced his candidacy, as a Democrat, for state representative of House District 37, representing the towns of Blue Hill, Brooksville, Castine, Penobscot, Sedgwick, and Surry.
In a news release Chapman says that, building upon his previous public service and his background in sustainable energy technology, he hopes to bring a compassionate, thoughtful, and rational approach to public policy formation, especially regarding the topics of energy, education, and health care.
“Very few of our legislators have the technical backgrounds that are increasingly vital in our rapidly changing society. No longer will we have the ‘luxury’ of living, or governing, in a wasteful, inefficient manner. My history of public service and deep understanding of the critical issues we face will benefit our families, businesses, and communities. I look forward to working with the voters of our district in that effort,” he said.
Chapman has just completed his sixth year as an elected member on Brooksville’s Budget and Advisory Committee. Locally he has volunteered his services at the Brooksville Elementary School, on the Executive Committee of the Board of the Liberty School, and as president of the Peninsula Area Team for Health working on youth alcohol issues. He helped coordinate the successful SELF (Shelter, Energy, Livelihood, Food) Reliance Conference in Blue Hill two years ago. At the state level, he has volunteered his services on Maine Housing’s REACH committee (bringing energy technology to low-income residents) and on the Environmental Sector Board of the Maine Technology Institute (funding applied research and development projects). He is active with the New Surry Theatre and has appeared on stage in many of their productions.
With a BS in applied physics from Tufts University, Chapman has worked in solar energy-related research including at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory and at Tufts’ Electro-Optics Technology Center. Seven years ago he set up a science teaching lab at United Technologies Center, the regional public technical high school in Bangor, where he has been coordinating green construction and energy auditing skills training. Last summer he built a partnership around his workforce training idea and wrote a federal grant, just awarded, that brings $2.1 million to a high poverty Maine region for training disadvantaged workers while building replacement housing.
Chapman lives with his wife, Rebecca Poole, in Brooksville where they built their own house and raised their five children, now grown.
Chapman will face Ben Wootten of Blue Hill in the Democratic primary in June. Republican Gay Leach of Castine has declared her intent to run for the position as well.
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