AUGUSTA -- Former Republican state Rep. Kim Davis of Augusta is running for the state Senate this year to challenge Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro.

Davis, who served in the Maine House from 2005-2006, said she's in the race because she wants to unseat Mitchell, a longtime state lawmaker and former Speaker of the House.

"I really feel it's time for change in the state of Maine," Davis said. "I don't think re-electing the same people over and over is going to bring change."

For Mitchell, experience is a good trait to bring to the state Senate in difficult economic times. Since she was first elected to the House in 1974, Mitchell has served a total of 12 years in the House and four in the Senate.

She served as House Speaker from 1996-1998.

"I have the experience to work within the process to get the job done," she said.

Both women want to serve the voters of Senate District 24, is comprised of Augusta, China, Oakland, Sidney and Vassalboro.

The state Senate is currently held by Democrats with an 18-17 majority.

Davis, 51, is a self-employed interior designer. An Augusta resident, she has served on the Augusta City Council, Augusta Planning Board and other local committees. She served two years in the House before being defeated in 2006 by Rep. Kim Silsby, an Augusta Democrat.

Davis said she wants to reduce the size of the Legislature from 151 House members to 99 and from 35 Senate members to 33. Also, she wants to extend the terms of those who are elected so the state would spend fewer dollars on campaign spending through the Maine Clean Election Act.

And, she said offering health care and retirement to state legislators "encourages them to be lifers."

Mitchell, an attorney and Vassalboro selectwoman, has also served as head of the Maine State Housing Authority.

Mitchell, 68, said the state has lowered taxes in the past 10 years by reducing the sales tax from 6 percent to 5 percent, increasing the Homestead Exemption for Maine homeowners, and by repealing the business equipment tax. Also, she said research and development bonds approved by voters have helped Maine businesses and the higher education system.

"It's very difficult to say Maine can change national and global economic trends," she said. "We're meeting it head on as best we can."

Davis said she believes that some state departments are not run efficiently, and that she would rely on the state's Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability to point out areas for improvements.

"The system is large, it's complicated," she said. "People will tell you state departments are inefficient."

She'd consider privatizing some programs and wants to make a serious effort to draw new business to the state.

When it comes to school district consolidation, Davis said she doesn't think it's something that should have been done at the state level.

"Ironically, as a Republican, I don't believe in school consolidation," she said. "I think one of the things Maine treasures is local control. It should be up to local schools."

Mitchell, who served on the Education Committee, said they had to take action because enrollments are declining while administrative costs are increasing.

She said she would have preferred a slower time frame for imposing the changes and wanted to preserve school unions. But she said doing nothing was not an option.

"It's unrealistic to say, looking at a budget shortfall, you don't have to make systemic changes," she said.

On health care, Davis said, "Dirigo simply is failing us and we're spending a whole lot of money." And she said health care is a national problem.

Mitchell said lawmakers tried to change the source of funding for Dirigo by turning to beverage taxes because the current funding was constantly under court challenge. She said other changes in the law, which included efforts to get people under 30 to buy insurance, would have made improvements to the system.

But the tax repeal on the Nov. 4 ballot will jeopardize Dirigo's future, she said. "In this Senate district, hundreds of people, small businesses, kids, and working people have affordable health insurance (because of Dirigo)," she said.

Susan Cover -- 620-7015

scover@centralmaine.com