James William “Bill” Hunt III (Johnathan Riley photo)
James William “Bill” Hunt III, R-Southport, wants to help working-class residents by limiting the government’s involvement in their everyday lives, which has moved him in his bid for House District 48.
Hunt faces state Rep. Holly Stover, D-Boothbay, in the race for House District 48, which consists of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, South Bristol, Southport, and Westport Island. Stover is seeking reelection for a fourth term.
Hunt was born in Boston, but he said the Boothbay area has been where he considers home. His family has been in the area at least seasonally, and often year-round, for three generations. In 1954, his family bought a house in Southport, where he moved back to in 2022 when he retired.
Hunt graduated from Bates College in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. His career was spent largely in the technology sector, starting as a self-taught software developer and database engineer and eventually specializing in helping companies push through cultural shifts during times of tremendous growth.
“There are points in a company’s life where they run into a wall and it’s very hard to cross,” he said. “It’s more of a cliff where there’s this giant drop off … so, helping companies cross that chasm has been where I’ve built my career over the years.”
Hunt said his interest in running for House District 48 began when he saw the lobstering industry become “increasingly over regulated” and wanted to be an advocate in the “constant fight to keep the waterfront alive.”
“The marine industries have been under attack for decades,” Hunt said.
One of the regulations Hunt cited was the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission requirements, which were announced in 2022 and stated that fishermen catching lobsters and crabs in federal waters had to begin using GPS trackers.
“That’s a federal requirement, but the state can certainly have something to say about it and we’ve not said enough about it,” he said.
Hunt believes that the breadth of his professional experience on the water and in business gives him an insight that will be valuable if elected to House District 48.
“Just understanding the business world helps me and helps understanding how the government should work in dealing with business,” he said. “I’ve dealt with regulations; I’ve dealt with government … and seeing what helps businesses and what helps companies and people grow and what hurts them.”
While campaigning, Hunt said the issues his constituents have been concerned the most with are the economy, over regulation of the lobstering industry, and increasing property taxes.
Hunt would like to be able to attract more year-round residents to Maine, while keeping a younger workforce in the area.
“We want people as residents of Maine so they can help build jobs and help build investments and keep people working here,” he said. “We also want to keep the kids here and get the kids a work ethic.”
If elected, Hunt said one of the ideas he would propose to keep a younger workforce is creating an education incentive program for high school students. Those opting into the program would work at least 10 hours per week during the school year and 30 hours per week during the summer, and the state would match their earnings to be used to pay for any college or technical school in the state.
Hunt said students would then receive the full sum of the funds after graduating and entering the Maine workforce for two years.
Hunt expressed concern about across-the-board regulations that might not apply to all municipalities, such as a new rules proposed by Occupational Safety and Health Administration in February. According to Lincoln County fire department officials, the proposed regulations would increase financial burdens on emergency services by requiring the implementation of additional safety measures, which could possibly result in reduced manpower and limited resources.
The new emergency response rule proposed by OSHA is an example of how general policies from the state aren’t the answer for towns, according to Hunt.
“It’s devastating what they’re trying to do. It’s going to be a real problem. One of the things we have to do is push back as a state. One-size-fits-all policies like that don’t work, whether they’re coming from Washington(, D.C.) or Augusta,” Hunt said.
L.D. 2003, a bill that sought to address housing issues in the state by increasing access for the development of accessory dwelling units on properties, is another example of how the universal approach doesn’t work, according to Hunt.
“L.D. 2003 is a one size fits all that is clobbering small towns like this one,” he said. “It doesn’t work in small communities, but to be fair, it’s only been a year.”
While Hunt hasn’t held office before, he has had an effect on the Legislature.
After back-to-back storms in January devastated structures along Maine’s coast, Hunt said he contacted the Maine House of Representatives Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, to propose that piers be permitted to be rebuilt at the same square footage, but with raised or additional protections from future storms.
Ultimately, the Legislature passed L.D. 2030, “An Act to Exempt Certain Emergency Activities and Structure Elevation Increases in Flood Zones from Permit Requirements Under the Natural Resources Protection Act,” which allowed infrastructure to be built 48 inches taller than previously.
Hunt said it’s an example of his effectiveness as a private citizen and his ability to identify needed and necessary changes.
Hunt received an A-plus rating from the Sportsman Alliance of Maine and an A from the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action.
Currently, Hunt is serving as the Boothbay Harbor harbormaster, a position he was appointed to this summer. An experienced boat captain and sailor, Hunt taught sailing in New York and Florida after college. He has also taught sailing in Boothbay Harbor.
“I’ve sailed my entire life,” he said. “Sailing and the water has been part of my life since I could walk. Even before that, I was out on boats with my dad as a baby. We’ve always been on the water.”
Hunt has served on the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club Junior Program Committee for 25 years and helped develop a high school sailing program where students from middle school to high school can learn to sail with the proper equipment.
“(Sailing) is a sport that teaches without even realizing its teaching,” he said. “It’s teaching physics, it’s teaching love for the environment, it’s just a great experience for anybody.”
One of Hunt’s greatest accomplishments is his family, he said. Hunt and his wife, Heidi, have four daughters and two granddaughters.
When Hunt isn’t campaigning, he enjoys spending time on the water and sailing when he can.
For more information, go to hunt4staterep.org or follow the Hunt for State Representative Facebook page.
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
