Toni Seger of Lovell is a multimedia artist, filmmaker and playwright.

While we’re now familiar with Donald Trump’s incessant lying, back in 2017 when Matt Dunlap was appointed to an “election integrity” commission, he took the appointment seriously and expected some election integrity to accompany it. At the time, Dunlap was Maine’s secretary of state, a position he also took seriously.

That’s why, when it became clear the country’s leadership was attempting to use the ruse of “widespread voter fraud” (as a cover story) to secure and control private voter data, Dunlap drew a line in the sand.

Having grasped the government’s real intention — to turn the commission into a front for a blatant power grab — Dunlap refused to release any private data. Then, he went further and won the issue in court.

About his victory, Dunlap said: “The commission’s leadership denigrated straightforward efforts to fulfill my responsibilities as a member. This decision sets the commission on a path of redemption and my hope is, I and the other commissioners will finally be able to participate fully.”

Instead, Trump dissolved the commission, which sparked Dunlap’s wry response: that it
“wasn’t entirely a surprise” and, he immediately noted, proved the panel had been intended for partisan purposes. Much later, Dunlap issued a succinct summation: “I sued Donald Trump and shut down his sham, voter fraud commission.”

In an interview with Don Gonyea of public radio, Dunlap said of the experience: “What was remarkable about the documents the commission produced was a complete lack of evidence there was any voter misconduct …” Letting that sink in, he clarified: “Voter misconduct was the original impetus for creating the commission and yet was completely absent from the evidence…”

For Matt Dunlap, integrity is essential and his first instinct is to support the underdog. When Dunlap says he wants to represent the rights of Mainers, you can believe him because he’s been doing it for a long time.

Dunlap’s long career is one of distinction. He served in the Maine State House as a representative for four terms, as Maine’s secretary of state for 14 years, as president of
the National Association of Secretaries of State and currently as state auditor.

Having been previously critical of Rep. Jared Golden for “being too willing to work with the Republican Party,” Dunlap decided to run for Golden’s seat when the congressman declined to run again.

“Matt’s a progressive champion,” said Rep. Ro Khanna of California, one of the strongest progressive voices in Congress. “He’s ready to stand up to the ‘Epstein class’ and tax billionaires, then use the revenue to support free public college.”

Rep. Khanna, well known as a champion of Medicare for all and who read aloud (on the
House floor) the names of six “wealthy powerful men” previously redacted from the
Epstein files, has endorsed Dunlap. Courage inspires courage, which is why it’s heartening
when you see exceptional candidates run for office.

Matt Dunlap’s platform is unapologetically designed to be a “people’s agenda” and
deliver what 2nd District residents need more than anything: Medicare for all,
universal childcare and living wages for working families. As he himself puts it: “I’m running to make life more affordable for rural families in Maine — and I won’t back down from Trump or
anyone else.”

Dunlap will now face former Gov. Paul LePage, whom he has criticized for living in Florida while acting like a Maine resident. Indeed, LePage’s Maine residence is a rented Augusta apartment above a barber shop. The unit is owned by one of his political allies.

Vote for Matt Dunlap for Maine’s 2nd District.