Staff

Matt Gagnon is the owner and major contributor to Pine Tree Politics.

Matt is a product of the University of Maine, where he studied Political Science, concentrating in the fields of American Government and Comparative Politics.

Matt’s interest in politics has been burning for a very long time.  Over the years, he has volunteered or worked for Presidential campaigns, US Senate and House races, and dozens of local elections.

In 2004, Matt ran as a Republican for the Maine House of Representatives (Old Town).  His bid proved unsuccessful, however the experience taught him a great deal about practical politics and grassroots level campaigning – lessons he now applies to political analysis.

Gagnon is currently a digital communications consultant, operating primarily in Washington, D.C.  Moving to the nation’s capital did not diminish his passion for local Maine politics, which is the driving force behind Pine Tree Politics.  He does hope that some time in the future his life will bring him back home, but until then he remains a Mainer at heart.

Derek Viger is a managing editor columnist for Pine Tree Politics, focusing on education issues, policy, and local politics.

Derek is a Rumford, Maine native and graduated from Mountain Valley High School.  He completed an BA in History at the University of Southern Maine and is now working on a MA in Public Policy, with an emphasis in education, at the Muskie School.

Derek has been interested in politics for many years.  He began writing on Maine politics early in 2009 at “The Maine View”, and moved to Augusta Insider that summer to continue to explore local Maine politics and take over administrative duties.  Though he is a registered Democrat, Derek strives to present all sides of an issue fairly.

Derek currently resides in Cumberland with his wife and two children.  He also serves on the Board of Trustees and Visionary Council for the Breakwater School in Portland.

Aaron Prill is a contributing editor to Pine Tree Politics.

Aaron graduated from the University of Maine in 2001 with a B.S. in Business Administration, concentrating in the fields of Information Systems and Finance.

Aaron works for a national software company that has an office in Bangor, Maine, and calls Winterport, Maine home with his wife Sarah. His role with Pine Tree Politics is to contribute conservative commentary, and to help with technical aspects when needed. He is also currently a volunteer for LePage 2010, and is advising and assisting with web and social media needs of the campaign.

Aaron’s interest in politics started at a young age, and over the years has grown more conservative with the changing times. Aaron makes no attempt to disguise himself as a non-partisan. He feels strongly that the liberal tax and spend fiscal policies must be defeated in order to preserve our state and nation’s future.

Garrett Murch is a columnist for Pine Tree Politics, focusing mostly on political commentary and analysis.

Garrett is a native of Windsor Maine and graduate of Cony High School.

He previously served as a legislative aide to Senator Olympia J. Snowe and was deputy director of U.S. House Relations at the Heritage Foundation.

Currently, Garrett lives in Washington DC and serves as the Coalitions Manager for the conservative online publication Townhall.com.

Although in Washington, Garrett’s eye is always turned to Maine.  He is following the 2010 gubernatorial race closely, and frequently gets home to visit family, duck hunt off the Maine coast, and fly fish the state’s many storied rivers.