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My name is Dean Scontras, and I am proud to be running for Congress in Maine's 1st District. I'm a third generation Mainer with deep roots in York County. My grandfather, Andreas Scontras, left the Greek Navy to come to America in the early 1900's through Ellis Island, with all the other legal immigrants of that time period. Andreas eventually made his way Buffalo, N.Y, where he took a job as a street vendor selling roasted nuts in the winter and popcorn in the summer. After saving enough money to secure passage to America for his wife and children, he set out to build a new life for his family in Maine. He moved to Old Orchard Beach to open a cobbler shop and grow his business, while my grandmother worked as one of the very first female employees in a textile mill in Sanford.

My father, Pete Scontras, was born in Old Orchard Beach and learned the family business at Andreas's side. Like most young people, my father dreamed grander dreams than the life of a cobbler offered. He also loved to play football. He was eventually offered full football scholarships to both Boston College and Maine Maritime Academy. Being a fashion-conscious young man, he selected MMA because, as he tells the story, he thought the uniforms looked better. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Navy where he assumed an engineering assignment under the command of one the Navy's most decorated officers, the "Father of the Nuclear Navy," Admiral Hyman G. Rickover.

The youngest of seven children, I grew up in Kittery, Maine and played quarterback at Traip Academy. I graduated from the University of Maine in 1991 with a degree in public policy and political science, only to find myself standing right in the middle of the information superhighway. I embarked on an exciting career in information technology, helping new companies develop cutting edge software and bring their new ideas and products to market. My career took me to Washington, DC where I pursued a master's degree in public policy at Georgetown University and met the love of my life, my wife Dawn.

I continued my career in information technology, and was successful in helping a number of companies achieve their dream of "going public" just a few short years after their creation. My experience gave me a deep appreciation for the seemingly limitless opportunities a free market economy can provide those who are dedicated to advancing ideas and pursuing dreams.

I moved back to Maine with Dawn and our two children, Jack and Zoe, inspired by what I had experienced in other states, and confident that with the right set of policies and the right attitude towards innovation, Maine can attract many of the "next generation" jobs that I helped create throughout my career.

It's time for a new type of leadership in Maine's 1st District; it's time for a Next Generation Republican.