Representative Ellen Winchenbach, R-Waldoboro, is a small-business owner in support of a minimum wage increase, access to affordable health care, and looking into ways to keep energy costs down.
Winchenbach, an incumbent in the current House District 50, is running against another incumbent, Rep. Jeffrey Evangelos, I-Friendship.
The two representatives are now running in the new House District 91, which includes Waldoboro, Friendship, Washington, and part of Union.
Winchenbach has run her own salon, Hair Country, in Waldoboro for 27 years, and has been licensed as a cosmetologist for 38 years.
A member of the Labor, Commerce, Research, and Economic Development Committee, Winchenbach voted against a three-step minimum wage increase but said she is in favor of a one-time increase for the time being.
“I felt strongly that it wouldn’t put people out of business, but after I thought about it in the House session I voted against it because I didn’t want the minimum wage based on consumer price indexing for the next three years,” Winchenbach said of the bill.
“I just feel more comfortable with $0.50 or $1 at this time because I think that businesses should control what they pay people, and most people, most employers will give you what they can afford,” Winchenbach said. “I would; I would pay more than minimum wage if I had an employee. I always did.”
“It isn’t a lot of money, I know, but I know I started out as a minimum wage worker in Augusta, my first hairdressing job,” and worked for minimum wage at Crowe Rope, she said.
“I just knew I wanted more than minimum wage. That’s a personal choice. I wanted to better myself, and I think people should if they can,” Winchenbach said.
Winchenbach also believes people need to create their own jobs.
“Home occupations are great for anybody to save on the overhead costs, because rent – if I had to pay rent downtown or on Route 1, I’d be working to pay my rent and my property taxes,” Winchenbach said. “The best thing I did for myself was to open my own business and become self-employed.”
Winchenbach was one of two House Republicans to co-sponsor LD 1066, which would have expanded the state’s Medicaid program and made the state eligible for federal funding to cover those who enrolled under it.
“I believe everyone needs access to health care, affordable health care. This is a way to do it,” Winchenbach said of the expansion. “I think we all need health care no matter who you are, so we’re going to have to be working on health care starting at the federal level down. More to come on that subject.”
A former Waldoboro selectman and former member of the town’s budget committee, Winchenbach said speaking up about property taxes is what got her involved in town politics to begin with back around 2003.
“I stood up for the first time and had something to say about property taxes, and geez, I got elected to the budget committee,” she said.
Winchenbach was elected to a three-year term on the board of selectmen the next year, but after losing her re-election bid, she took a roughly five-year break before getting back on the budget committee again.
“There were some things going on in town, budgetary matters with the new town manager and stuff, and I was very concerned and I got involved again because I thought I needed to,” she said.
Winchenbach served on the town budget committee during her first term in the Legislature, which she said has provided her a close relationship with the town budget and an awareness of how important revenue sharing is to the town.
“I’ve always known I was not going to cut revenue sharing. I knew I wasn’t going to support the governor on that, so I was planning to do all I could to help restore that to the towns,” she said.
Winchenbach also supports the state fulfilling its obligation to fund 55 percent of K-12 education as a way to support the towns, but says it may not translate to lower property taxes if the towns don’t take action.
“Are there any guarantees that if the state funds 55 percent, are the municipalities going to offset that and lower the property taxes? It’s a good question,” Winchenbach said. “We have to do something, but what the towns do is another story.”
Energy will be a focus point for Winchenbach going forward, after hearing concerns from her constituents.
“I need to know more about energy and I’m starting to ask more questions about energy,” Winchenbach said.
“Everybody tells me green energy is expensive, wind power is expensive, solar is expensive. How do we get our money back on these systems?” she asked.
“At my age, I have to think, do I want to replace my heating system? What would I do? How would I get my money back on it now, at my age? Somebody young may,” Winchenbach said.
If re-elected, Winchenbach said she hopes to serve on the Marine Resources Committee again, and is considering serving on the labor committee again or possibly appropriations because of budgeting concerns.
“I work really hard, I do, and I’m not afraid to ask questions. I’m quite direct with people,” Winchenbach said. “It’s about me working hard for everybody else, it’s not really about me. It’s about doing a good job up there and representing the people and I’ve enjoyed it very much.”
Correction: An earlier edition of this article stated Winchenbach said she voted in favor of a bill to increase the minimum wage in committee, however, the Legislature’s record on the bill shows she did not.
“I apologize if I misspoke, but I thought I remember that I voted for it in committee,” Winchenbach said Oct. 16.
