Oliver McAvoy
Running to represent Buxton, Cornish, Hollis, and Limington, in District 138
About Oliver
I grew up in northern Maine, in a place where hard work and helping your neighbors was expected. My father was a logger, my mother was a school secretary, and like a lot of families, we were solidly middle class. I grew up believing that if you worked hard, treated people well, and contributed to your community, a stable life was almost guaranteed.
I’ve watched that slip away. The path that used to be there for working people—the ability to graduate, find steady work, afford a home, and raise a family—has been chipped away at over time until it’s almost entirely gone. Costs have gone up, wages haven’t kept pace, and more and more of the benefits of our economy are being concentrated at the top. I want that basic promise I grew up with to be real again for my kids and for families across Maine.
I spent years helping my dad, cutting timber in all conditions. I’ve built a career in IT, seeing firsthand how the modern economy operates, including the rapid rise of new technologies like AI. I’ve worked long hours in tough environments, and I’ve worked in highly technical, global roles. I understand the pressures working families face regardless of what color their collar is, and I know there’s more that connects us than divides us.
At my core, I’m guided by a simple set of values: help people when they need it, treat others with empathy, and stand up for those who don’t have a voice. That’s how I was raised, and it’s how I’ve tried to live my life. I’ve always believed that if you’re in a position to do something, you should. Now that my kids are grown and I have the time and ability, I feel a responsibility to step up and serve.
I’m running to focus on the issues that affect working people across the board. Wealth inequality has reached a level that threatens both our economy and our democracy. Healthcare remains unaffordable and unreliable for too many families. The basic cost of living continues to outpace what people earn. These aren’t partisan problems. They’re shared challenges, and they need practical, serious solutions.
What Matters Most
Workforce Development & Skilled Trades
I come from a place where working with your hands was a respected and reliable path to a good life. We need to invest in career and technical education, expand apprenticeships, and support the trades that keep our towns running. And if we want people to stay here and work here, we need reliable broadband so remote work is a real option. Good-paying jobs should exist right here in our communities, not somewhere else.
Childcare & Family Stability
When both parents need or want to be working childcare shouldn’t be the thing that holds a family back. Right now, it is. Too many families are scrambling to find affordable, reliable care. If we’re serious about supporting working families, we need to expand childcare options, support the small providers who are already doing the work, and invest in after-school programs that give kids a safe, structured place to be. This is about making it possible for people to work, raise their kids, and build a life here without constantly feeling like they’re one step behind.
Food Security & Rural Access
I was raised to believe that neighbors look out for each other. No one in our communities should be going without basic necessities like food. But the reality is, too many families are struggling to put meals on the table. We need to strengthen the systems that are already helping, like local food banks, while also supporting Maine farmers and building stronger local food networks. Programs like farm-to-school don’t just feed kids—they support local agriculture at the same time. And we need to protect access to programs like SNAP, because for many families, that support is the difference between getting by and falling behind.
Health Coverage & Rural Care Access
At some point, every single one of us is going to need healthcare. The problem is, too many people can’t get it when they need it, or they have to travel too far to find it. That’s not acceptable. We need to protect and strengthen rural clinics and hospitals so care is available close to home. We also need to take mental health and substance use seriously and make sure treatment is accessible, not out of reach. And in rural communities, EMS and first responders are often stretched thin—we need to support them so when people call for help, someone is there. Healthcare shouldn’t depend on your zip code.
Infrastructure & Rural Investment
If we want our towns to thrive, we have to invest in the basics. That means roads and bridges that are safe and reliable, not something you worry about every time you drive to work or bring your kids to school. It means expanding broadband so people can work, learn, and run businesses from here. And it means supporting the volunteer fire departments and EMS services that so many of our communities rely on. These aren’t flashy issues, but they’re foundational. If we don’t get this right, nothing else works the way it should.