Chellie Pingree
Template:Future election candidate
Chellie Pingree | |
|---|---|
| File:ChelliePingree2.jpg | |
| Maine State Senate Majority Leader | |
| In office 1996–2000 | |
| Member of the Maine Senate from Maine's Senate District 12 | |
| In office 1992–2000 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 2, 1955 Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | College of the Atlantic |
| Website | chelliepingree.com |
 | This article needs to be updated. |
Chellie M. Pingree (born April 2, 1955) is the Congresswomen-elect for the U.S. house of Representatives for Maine's 1st District and the immediate past President and CEO of Common Cause, a nonpartisan citizens' lobbying group based in Washington, DC.
Personal
Pingree was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, attended the University of Southern Maine, and graduated from the College of the Atlantic with a degree in Human Ecology.
Pingree held various farming and care-taking jobs until 1981, when she started North Island Yarn, a cottage industry of hand knitters with a retail store on the island of North Haven. Her business expanded and became North Island Designs, employing as many as ten workers. They began marketing knitting kits and pattern books nationwide through 1,200 retail stores and 100,000 mail order catalogues. Through North Island Designs, Pingree authored and produced five knitting books between 1986 and 1992.
Pingree has three children; the oldest, Hannah Pingree, is the Majority Leader of the Maine House of Representatives.
Common Cause
As Common Cause's leader, Pingree strengthened the organization's programs in media reform and elections, while maintaining programs in ethics and money in politics. Among the specific issues she championed at Common Cause are Net Neutrality, Mandatory Voter-Verified Paper Ballots, Public Financing of Congressional Elections, National Popular Vote (a work-around of the Electoral College), and an Independent Ethics Commission for Congress. She stepped down from Common Cause in February 2007 to return to her home state, in order to run for Congress in 2008.[1][2] If elected she will be Maine's first Democratic woman elected to Congress.
Maine Senate
Pingree served as the Senate Majority Leader in the Maine Senate representing her island community of North Haven, Maine. Pingree was first elected in 1992 at the age of 37. She was elected Maine's second female Senate Majority Leader on December 4, 1996. In 2002, she made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican junior senator Susan Collins, and lost by a margin of 16%. She was outspoken against going to war against Iraq, although counseled by party insiders to avoid that subject.
During her tenure as a state legislator, Pingree led several economic development initiatives including landmark legislation to enhance small business opportunities and keep businesses in Maine. She gained nationwide headlines when she authored the nation's first bill regulating prescription drug prices, Maine Rx. Pingree also shepherded Maine's largest land bill initiative, Land for Maine's Future. In 2000, she was forced to leave the Legislature due to term limits.
2008 U.S. House of Representatives campaign
In April 2007, Pingree filed papers for her bid to run for Maine's 1st congressional district.[3] On August 15th, 2007, EMILY's List endorsed Pingree's campaign for Congress in Maine's 1st District.[4][5] In December 2007 she also received the endorsement of 21st Century Democrats.[6] She has also been endorsed by a number of labor organizations and many individuals and state officials, including Congressman Rush D. Holt, Jr., Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, current Maine Senate Majority Leader Libby Mitchell, Fmr. Maine Senate Asst. Majority Leader Anne Rand, State Representative Paulette Beaudoin,State Representative Nancy Smith, progressive writer and activist Jim Hightower, the United Auto Workers, Planned Parenthood, and the League of Conservation Voters.[7]
Electoral results
- 2008 General Election - Maine's 1st Congressional District
- Chellie Pingree 55%
- Charlie Summers 45%
- 2008 Democratic Primary - Maine's 1st Congressional District
- Chellie Pingree 44%
- Adam Cote 28%
- Michael Brennan 11%
- Ethan Strimling 11%
- Mark Lawrence 5%
- Stephen Meister 1%
- 2002 Race for U.S. Senate
- Susan Collins (R) (inc.), 58%
- Chellie Pingree (D), 42%
References
- ^ [1] Portland Press Herald
- ^ [2] Portland Press Herald
- ^ Announcement to run for Congress Boston Globe, April 6, 2007 Accessed 2008-03-05
- ^ EMILY's List Announces Endorsement of Chellie Pingree for Maine 1st District EMILY'S List, press release Accessed 2008-03-05
- ^ Chellie Pingree U.S. House, ME EMILY'S List profile
- ^ Pingree Announces Endorsements December 20, 2007 Accessed 2008-03-05
- ^ Complete list of endorsements ChelliePingree.com Accessed 2008-03-05
External links
- Chellie Pingree for U.S. Congress official campaign website
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Common Cause official website
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