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TWO REPUBLICANS are seeking their party`s nomination in the 1st Congressional District. Here are their positions on four issues on which they`ve offered differing views.

January 28, 2008

ABORTION

— Dean Scontras describes himself as pro-life, a position that puts him at odds with Maine`s two Republican senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of whom support abortion rights.

— Charlie Summers is pro-choice, according to his wife, Ruth, who is acting as his campaign spokeswoman while he is stationed in Iraq as a Navy lieutenant commander. ``He doesn`t condone abortion by any stretch of the imagination, but he does believe that it`s a person`s choice,`` Ruth Summers said. ``It`s just not the government`s decision to make that choice for you.``

IMMIGRATION

Immigration reform -- and specifically the question of whether illegal immigrants in this country should be given a path to citizenship -- is an issue that has divided Republicans.

— Scontras said he opposes granting amnesty to illegal immigrants who are currently in the United States. He said the government needs to secure its borders and enforce existing laws. But he did not express support for deporting all the illegal immigrants who are here now.

— Summers believes the United States should secure its borders and also that illegal immigrants who are already in this country should be given a path toward citizenship, according to his wife.

GAY MARRIAGE AND CIVIL UNIONS

— Scontras said he supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and he also opposes civil unions.

— Summers believes marriage is between a man and a woman, and he supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, according to his wife, but he is OK with civil unions.

HEALTH CARE

— Scontras said he favors enacting tort reform to reduce the cost of medical malpractice insurance, and he favors reducing regulation of the health insurance industry. He did not endorse the idea of providing universal health care, saying that the overall supply of health care is limited. ``Perhaps everyone`s covered,`` Scontras said. ``But still, medical care is scarce.``

— Summers believes Congress should look at ideas that are being tried at state and local levels to come up with a national health care policy that would provide quality, affordable care for all, his wife said. But he does not support a single-payer system, in which everyone would be covered by one publicly funded insurance system. Summers would sponsor legislation that would create what are known as small business health plans, according to his wife. These plans would allow small businesses to pool their employees into larger groups, with the goal of lowering costs.

—Kevin Wack, staff writer