Citing Commitment to Lower Cost of Caregiving, Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy PAC Endorses Matt Dunlap for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District

WASHINGTON – Today, the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy PAC (CFFE PAC) announced its endorsement of Maine State Auditor Matt Dunlap in his bid to represent Maine’s 2nd congressional district in what will be one of the most closely watched races in the country.

This endorsement reflects CFFE PAC's commitment to electing candidates who will make life more affordable by tackling the crippling cost of caregiving through investments in affordable child and elder care and paid family and medical leave. Electing a Democratic House majority is an essential first step to passing these policies to reduce the cost of caregiving–and this seat is a must hold.CFFE PAC plans to spend millions of dollars to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, including Matt Dunlap.

“Matt Dunlap understands that when families can’t afford health care or child care, financial stability is out of reach,” said Sondra Goldschein, Executive Director of the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy PAC. “He will fight to lower the cost of care, protect Medicaid, and ensure Maine families have the support they need to care for their children and loved ones. Unlike his opponent, Paul LePage, who has repeatedly opposed expanding access to affordable health care and supports an agenda that would make it harder for families to access the care they depend on, Matt will put working families first because he always has.”

“Mainers know how hard it can be to balance work and caring for the people we love, especially as costs keep rising,” said Matt Dunlap. “And with our population getting older, more and more families are feeling the squeeze. When parents can’t find affordable child care, they rely on grandparents to step in and help. Then, as those grandparents get older, families are left scrambling to figure out how they’ll afford care for them, too. We have to do better. I’m proud to have the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy PAC in our corner, and in Congress, I’ll fight to lower the cost of care at every stage of life so Maine families have the support they need to get by and get ahead.”

As Maine's State Auditor and former Secretary of State, Matt Dunlap built a reputation for accountable, effective government while advocating for policies that put Mainers first. In his campaign for Congress, Dunlap has made expanding access to affordable child care, lowering health care costs through Medicare for All, increasing affordable housing, and creating good-paying jobs central priorities to help families make ends meet. In Congress, Dunlap will fight for policies that lower the cost of care, strengthen the economy, and ensure Maine families have the support they need to thrive.

In contrast, Dunlap's opponent, former Republican Governor Paul LePage, has repeatedly opposed policies that would make care more affordable for Maine families. As governor, LePage vetoed Medicaid expansion six times and delayed its implementation even after Maine voters approved it at the ballot box, leaving thousands without access to affordable health care. That record underscores the stakes for voters looking for leadership that puts working families first. Today, LePage supports a Republican agenda that would make it harder for families to access the health care they rely on while doing little to address the rising costs of child care, prescription drugs, and long-term care. Instead of fighting to lower the cost of care, LePage has embraced an agenda that threatens the programs working families, seniors, and rural communities rely on most.

Across Maine, the rising cost of care is one of the biggest challenges facing working families. A recent Brookings Institution study found that only 54.2% of Maine households earn enough to meet their basic needs after accounting for the costs of housing, food, child care, health care, and transportation, while families with children face some of the greatest financial strain. Matt Dunlap's focus on making care more affordable reflects the priorities of Maine voters, who are looking for practical solutions that help families get ahead rather than policies that weaken the programs they depend on.

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The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy PAC works to elect candidates who believe all people should be able to afford to care for themselves and their loved ones. Since 2015, we have run some of the largest electoral programs in battleground states to support candidates that are fighting for policies like paid family and medical leave and quality, affordable child care, elder care and health care. We know how to effectively communicate about high costs and the economy in the way people actually think about it – emphasizing who is committed to lowering costs, and who isn’t. We use this insight to reach voters at the scale needed to have an impact, building support for candidates up and down the ballot who are committed to lowering the cost of caregiving.