Eric Dickey is a soft-spoken, dedicated veteran who works as a volunteer veterans' benefits advocate at Togus.

Disabled while serving a stateside stint in the military during the first Gulf War, Dickey spends his days working to help other veterans navigate their way through the government's claims system. He's running as a Republican in House District 67 on a platform of no new taxes; job development, especially "green jobs"; ending the new beverage tax that supports Dirigo; and repealing school consolidation.

Dickey is challenging two-term Democratic House member Seth Berry, who's running for re-election. Berry's an articulate and dedicated teacher who has served as a selectman in Bowdoinham, where his grandparents owned a chicken farm and his family has been involved in civic affairs for three generations.

Berry has quickly grown into a confident legislator with special expertise on utilities and energy issues, a complex and sometimes arcane field that is not easy to master. While his confidence can border on glibness at times, Berry's got roots in the old Maine, with evident and genuine affection and respect for the state's traditions and culture, and, at the same time, is full of ideas and plans for how to move the state's economy into the future.

He believes in the "enormous potential" of the energy industry, especially renewable energy and the opportunities afforded by energy efficiency.

The Kennebec Journal endorses Seth Berry for re-election in House District 67. His experience, enthusiasm and ambition for the state will serve his constituents, and Maine, well.