Pingree faces two challengers in Maines 1st District race [Video]

Kitchen table issues are at the forefront in Maine’s 1st Congressional District race as Democratic incumbent Chellie Pingree and Republican challenger Ronald Russell talk to voters about a shortage of housing, grocery prices and other economic issues.

“We need to make sure housing is a priority in Washington. Community by community, this is vital to our towns and vital to our state,” Pingree said during a recent speech in Westbrook.

“I saw the nation going downhill, including all this inflation, so I decided to do something about it,” said Russell, who campaigned door-to-door in Biddeford this month.

Pingree lives in North Haven and is a former farmer, small business owner, state legislator and leader of national citizen advocacy group Common Cause. The 69-year-old is seeking her ninth term in the House of Representatives.

Russell, who also is 69, retired from the U.S. Army after 30 years of service, and was …