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Jantzen Craine is a husband, father of four, hotel manager and worship leader from Houlton. He is a candidate for state representative in Maine’s House District 7.
On Sept. 10, America was shaken by the news that Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking to students in Utah. No matter where you stood politically, that act of violence was a tragedy — not just for his family and friends, but for all of us who care about free speech, civic debate, and the health of our republic.
For me, the news carried a weight I won’t soon forget. It was a sobering reminder of how fragile our democracy has become when disagreement turns to violence and conviction is answered with bullets instead of dialogue.
The loss of Kirk has left a wound on the conservative movement, but it has also left a warning for every American: If we do not return to leadership rooted in principle, we risk losing more than leaders — we risk losing the very character of our nation.
I am not a career politician. I am a husband, a father of four, a hotel manager in Houlton, and a worship leader in my church. I was raised in conservative farm country where faith, family, and hard work weren’t slogans — they were simply how you lived. Those values carried me through ministry, business, and service to others. And they are the same values I want to hand to my children.
But watching the news of Kirk’s death, I realized something: It is no longer enough to hope that others will stand up for those values. It is no longer enough to watch from the sidelines and shake our heads at the dysfunction in Augusta or Washington. Ordinary citizens must be willing to step forward — not for attention, not for power, but for principle.
That’s why I have chosen to run for state representative here in Northern Maine.
I do not pretend that one seat will change the world. But I believe leadership begins close to home. It begins when neighbors gather at the kitchen table, when farmers work the fields, when business owners open their doors, and when churches call communities together in prayer. It begins when ordinary people — citizens with conviction — are willing to serve in public life, even when the climate is dangerous and divided.
I believe what Maine needs now are leaders who will not bend with the winds of political fashion, but who will stand firmly on the bedrock of faith, family, and freedom. Leaders who listen before they speak, who remember that government belongs to the people, and who put service above ambition.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination was meant to silence a voice. But it must not silence us. If anything, it should awaken us. We cannot allow violence, fear, or cynicism to keep us from engaging in the civic process. To retreat is to surrender the future.
As I begin this campaign, my commitment is simple: I will show up. I will listen first. I will serve faithfully. I will fight for the values that make Maine strong: families, honest work, local businesses, safe communities, and secure elections.
I know not everyone will agree with me. That’s the nature of free people living together. But disagreement must never again give way to violence. Debate must never again be replaced by intimidation. Leadership must never again be about power for its own sake.
This moment demands something better. It demands, I believe, that ordinary citizens — people with a backbone, a Bible, and a willingness to serve — step up and take responsibility. That is what I am choosing to do.
Northern Maine deserves a voice in Augusta that is steady in principle, grounded in faith, and unwilling to be silenced by fear. I intend to be that voice.
And I invite you to join me — not just as voters, but as neighbors and fellow citizens in a movement bigger than one man or one election. Together, we can prove that truth cannot be silenced, that freedom is worth protecting, and that servant leadership is still possible.