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Chellie Pingree

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Chellie Pingree
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maine's 1st district
Assumed office
January 3, 2009
Preceded byTom Allen
Maine Senate Majority Leader
In office
1996–2000
Member of the Maine Senate
from the 12th district
In office
1992–2000
Succeeded byChristine Savage[1]
Personal details
Born (1955-04-02) April 2, 1955 (age 69)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCharlie
ChildrenHannah Pingree
Cecily Pingree
Asa Pingree
ResidenceNorth Haven, Maine
Alma materCollege of the Atlantic
Professionpolitician
Websitechelliepingree.com

Rochelle M. "Chellie" Pingree (born April 2, 1955) is an American politician. She is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Maine's 1st congressional district since 2009. The district includes most of the southern part of the state, including Portland and Augusta.

Pingree was a member of the Maine Senate from 1992 to 2000, serving as majority leader from 1996 to 2000. She was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 2002. She was President and CEO of Common Cause from 2003 to 2006. She is the first Democratic woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine.

Early life, education and career

Pingree was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but has lived in Maine since she was a teenager. She attended the University of Southern Maine and graduated from the College of the Atlantic with a degree in Human Ecology. Since graduating from College of the Atlantic, she has lived in North Haven, a small island community 12 miles off Rockland.

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 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.

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. [2][3]

Maine Senate

Pingree served as the Senate Majority Leader in the Maine Senate representing Knox County. Pingree was first elected in 1992 at the age of 37, defeating a popular Republican incumbent. 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.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

Pingree is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

In September 2010, a video surfaced on the internet showing Pingree disembarking a private jet at Portland International Jetport owned by her fiance, hedge fund manager S. Donald Sussman. This drew criticism because of past statements Pingree had made that were critical about legislators using private aircraft.[4][5][6] The House Ethics Committee, in a bipartisan letter, stated the travel was permissible under House ethics rules.[7]

Political campaigns

2008

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Maine, 2008 § District 1

In April 2007, Pingree filed papers for her bid to run for Maine's 1st congressional district.[8] On August 15th, 2007, EMILY's List endorsed Pingree's campaign for Congress in Maine's 1st District.[9][10] In December 2007 she also received the endorsement of 21st Century Democrats.[11] She was endorsed by a number of labor organizations and many individuals and state officials, including Congressman Rush D. Holt, Jr.; Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky; Maine Senate Majority Leader Libby Mitchell; former Maine Senate Assistant 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.[12]

Pingree was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2008. She was sworn in to Congress on January 6, 2009.[13]

2010

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Maine, 2010 § District 1

In 2010, Pingree ran for reelection, and won, defeating Republican challenger Dean Scontras by a 57-43 margin. She overcame strong anti-Democrat and anti-incumbent political sentiment to become just one of eight Democrats in the House of Representatives to receive a higher percentage of the vote than in 2008.

Electoral results

  • 2010 General Election - Maine's 1st Congressional District
    • Chellie Pingree (D) 57%
    • Dean Scontras (R) 43%
  • 2008 General Election - Maine's 1st Congressional District
    • Chellie Pingree (D) 55%
    • Charlie Summers (R) 45%
  • 2008 Democratic Primary - Maine's 1st Congressional District
  • 2002 Race for U.S. Senate

Personal life

Pingree has three children; the oldest, Hannah Pingree, is the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.

References

  1. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=142593
  2. ^ [1] Portland Press Herald
  3. ^ [2] Portland Press Herald
  4. ^ Russell, Eric (2010-09-24). "Pingree takes heat for rides on fiance's plane". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2010-09-27. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ Associated Press (2010-09-24). "Maine Congresswoman Takes Heat For Jet Travel". WBZ-TV. Retrieved 2010-09-27. [dead link]
  6. ^ "Congresswoman Pingree's Travel Record Criticized". WPFO. 2010-09-24. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  7. ^ Portland Press Herald (2010-09-28). "Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree's jet travel cleared by ethics panel". Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  8. ^ Announcement to run for Congress Boston Globe, April 6, 2007 Accessed 2008-03-05
  9. ^ EMILY's List Announces Endorsement of Chellie Pingree for Maine 1st District EMILY'S List, press release Accessed 2008-03-05
  10. ^ Chellie Pingree U.S. House, ME EMILY'S List profile
  11. ^ Pingree Announces Endorsements December 20, 2007 Accessed 2008-03-05
  12. ^ Complete list of endorsements ChelliePingree.com Accessed 2008-03-05
  13. ^ New Faces of Congress: The House New York Times Accessed 2009-01-09

Further reading

  • Wright, Virginia. "Maine's Newest Political Dynasty". Down East: The Magazine of Maine (January 2009). {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maine's 1st congressional district
2009–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
327th 		Succeeded by

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