Bruce Bryant, four-term State Senator, State Representative, and Union Leader is running to represent Northern Oxford and Western Franklin County in the Maine State Senate.

RUMFORD — On June 7, 2024, Bruce Bryant announced his candidacy for Maine State Senate District 19. The Four-Term State Senator, State Representative, and Union Leader is running to represent Northern Oxford and Western Franklin County in the Maine State Senate.

“I’ve dedicated my life to fighting for working Mainers. There is no better place than Western Maine to live, work, play, raise a family, or retire. With that in mind, I am excited to announce that I am running for the Maine Senate to continue to be a voice for working families across our region,” said former Senator Bryant.

“Politicians have overlooked the rural communities in Western Maine for the last too long. We’ve seen this through the selling of the Technology Center, the closing of the Community Dental program, the underfunding of our essential rural EMS services, and the reduction of workers in our mills. As your State Senator, I will stand up for rural Maine helping our rural communities keep its doctors in the healthcare fields, keep its small Elementary schools, and fight for Economic Development money as I did in the past.

“I will also fight for all workers and families in District 19, from Rangeley to Jay to Rumford to Bethel and all the way to Stow,” Bryant continued, “I will bring all voices to the table to unite us around common-sense solutions that serve the good people of our community.”

A lifelong Mainer born in Rumford and raised in a family of ten children in Canton, Bruce Bryant graduated from Dirigo High School and then worked for 40 years in the Rumford Paper Mill, serving as the president of Local 900 with 1,150 members.

Bruce then served three terms in the Maine House of Representatives from 1997 to 2002 and four terms in the State Senate from 2002 to 2010, where he represented most of Oxford County, along with Jay in Franklin County.

As a Senator, Bryant chaired the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry in Augusta, where he sponsored bills to preserve Western Maine’s natural beauty and help farmers and loggers.

Bryant also fought to lower prescription drug prices and led the Task Force on Veterans Health Care. Bruce retired from the Rumford Paper Mill as a member of the 40-Year Club and for the last few years worked as a Board Operator in the Maine State Senate. Bruce enjoys Hunting, Fishing, and playing Pickleball in his spare time, and lives in Rumford.

Senate District 19 includes the towns of Albany Township, Andover, Avon, Bethel, Buckfield, Byron, Canton, Carthage, Coplin Plantation, Dallas Plantation, Dixfield, Eustis, Gilead, Greenwood, Hanover, Hartford, Jay, Lincoln Plantation, Lovell, Magalloway Plantation, Mexico, Newry, Peru, Phillips, Rangeley, Rangeley Plantation, Roxbury, Rumford, Sandy River Plantation, Stoneham, Stow, Sumner, Temple, Upton, Weld, West Paris, Wilton, and Woodstock.