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Tom Allen (D) vs. Charlie Summers (R)
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Charlie Summers has made every effort in this race to convince voters that Tom Allen hasn’t done enough for them while representing the First District in US House of Representatives by pointing to two things: Allen’s exchanging his seat on the Armed Services Committee for one on Energy and Commerce, thereby potentially removing himself from discussions germane to jobs at BIW and Portsmouth, and Allen’s having sponsored nary a bill that passed over the past two years. The approach hasn’t worked. Allen has been very much at the forefront of the debates surrounding the authorization of force for Iraq, how to affordably provide prescription drugs, and how to provide affordable housing in urban areas. He has demonstrated an ability to work with moderates on the other side of the aisle and Summers’s attempts to label Allen a party sheep by pointing out his voting record ring hollow in an era where there is little if any deviation from the party line anywhere in Washington. Allen has voted with the Dems 97 percent of the time; the three percent where he didn’t may have to be considered impressive in this day and age. We have found Allen responsive to the people of his district and surprisingly good at delivering pork to Maine.
