Rent control could be coming to Brunswick if Ramona Thieme, the only candidate across the state currently running to receive an endorsement from the Maine Democratic Socialists of America (MDSA), wins the race for the town’s District 6 Town Council seat.
[RELATED: Portland City Official Rebuts Press Herald, Claims City is Enforcing Rent Control Ordinances…]
“I think that a big part of the solution, ideally, would be a form of rent control, something tailored to the needs of Brunswick. I think the rent control down in Portland gives a lot of good ideas, though Portland is obviously a different place, a much bigger city with its own political character,” said Theime in an interview with WCME radio.
Currently, just two candidates appear on the MDSA’s endorsements page: Wes Pelletier, who already won a seat on the Portland town council last year and is not currently running, and Theime.
According to an interview in the local paper “Small Acts” posted on Theime’s campaign BlueSky account, the candidate has not only received an MDSA endorsement but has also been a member of the radical socialist organization for around four years.
Theime’s campaign has focused on “affordability” for Brunswick residents, particularly housing affordability through rent control.
Rent control as implemented in Portland, according to a report from the Maine Policy Institute, ultimately causes property taxes to increase, leads to an increase in prices for non-rent-controlled properties, contributes to housing scarcity, and disincentivizes landlords from investing in or maintaining their properties.
While pushing for rent control, Theime also advocated for lowering the property taxes that are making Brunswick less affordable, and has voiced support for policies that would make Brunswick affordable for the people who already live there, rather than incentivizing wealthier individuals to move there from other cities or states.
“I’m not against people moving into Brunswick, but if we aren’t building a supply that matches the needs of Brunswick currently, then we’re just gentrifying. We’re displacing the people that already live here. The council’s responsibility is making sure that Brunswick is a good, affordable place to live for their constituents who already live here,” said Theime, in the interview.
“Brunswick needs to be for Brunswick,” the candidate added.
Theime is also a member of the Brunswick Renter’s Organization, which prominently collaborated with Pride events, claims that “housing is a human right,” criticizes “profit-driven landlords,” and held a book club for a book titled Abolish Rent in collaboration with the MDSA.
According to Theime’s Instagram page, the candidate chooses to go by she/her or they/them pronouns.
In addition to housing and affordability, Theime prioritizes transit, public restrooms, PFAS decontamination, and banning the use of generative AI by town officials.
“I believe that any AI usage, in the sense of generative AI like responding to an email or writing a document, should be clearly disclosed by town staff so that people know that what they are reading was not handcrafted by a human being,” said Theime during the WCME radio interview.
Outside of Theime’s listed campaign priorities, the candidate has expressed opposition on social media to referendum Question 1, which seeks to implement voter ID requirements and limit some absentee voting, and support for referendum Question 2, which aims to implement stricter “red-flag” gun control laws.
Theime has also previously volunteered with Presente! Maine, a nonprofit that supports illegal immigrants, and urged supporters to spread the word about the Maine ICE Watch hotline, which is meant to help warn illegal aliens about ICE activity.
[RELATED: Maine Immigrant Groups Set Up Hotline to Warn Illegals of ICE Activity…]
“Maine ICE WATCH HOTLINE provides accurate, real-time information about ICE and Border Patrol activity and connects Maine families to resources and support services during a time of heightened enforcement and targeting of immigrants and refugees. Like and share so we reach as many people as we can,” said Theime on Bluesky.
On November 4, voters in Brunswick’s District 6 will choose between Thieme and incumbent town councilor Nathaniel Shed, who has served on the council since 2023.
Shed is a non-profit consultant who, according to his LinkedIn page, previously worked for Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick’s campaign (D-Ariz.).
“His interests include supporting a vital downtown, affordable housing, effective financial management, increasing recreational opportunities, responding to climate change and assuring excellence in education,” says his bio on the Brunswick town website.
During a candidate interview with the Portland Press Herald, Shed laid out his priorities, including low-income housing, managing property tax increases, and climate action.
“I don’t think that a housing moratorium is a good option for Brunswick. I would consider reducing future larger housing developments as part of a limited growth matrix. I would support additional regulations for maintaining environmentally sensitive woods and wetlands near any future housing development. As part of planning for housing growth, we need to look at the infrastructure to support this growth,” he said during the interview.
Full Disclosure: The Maine Wire is a project of the Maine Policy Institute.
