Chellie Pingree
Chellie Pingree | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 1st district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2009 | |
Preceded by | Tom Allen |
Member of the Maine Senate from the 12th district 21st district (1992–1994) | |
In office December 2, 1992 – December 6, 2000 | |
Preceded by | Linda Curtis Brawn |
Succeeded by | Christine Savage |
Personal details | |
Born | Rochelle Marie Johnson April 2, 1955 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Charlie Pingree (divorced) |
Children | 3, including Hannah |
Education | University of Southern Maine College of the Atlantic (BS) |
Awards | Maine Women's Hall of Fame (2001) |
Website | House website |
Chellie Pingree /ˈʃɛli ˈpɪŋɡriː/ (born April 2, 1955) is an American politician.[1] 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, losing to Republican Susan Collins. From 2003-06, she was President and CEO of Common Cause. She is the first Democratic woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine.
Early life, education, and early career
Pingree was born Rochelle Marie Johnson, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Harry and Dorothy Johnson. She moved to Maine as a teenager and had her first name legally changed to Chellie. She attended the University of Southern Maine and graduated from College of the Atlantic with a degree in Human Ecology. Since graduating from College of the Atlantic, she has resided in North Haven, a small island community off the coast of 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. Eisenhower Fellowships selected Chellie Pingree as a USA Eisenhower Fellow in 1997.[1]
Common Cause
As the leader of Common Cause, 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 and run for Congress in 2008.[2]
Maine Senate
![]() | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (February 2017) |
Elections
Pingree was first elected in 1992. She was outspoken against going to war against Iraq, although counseled by party insiders to avoid that subject. She won re-election in 1994[3] and 1996. In 2000, she was unable to seek re-election due to term limits.
Tenure
Pingree served as the Senate Majority Leader in the Maine Senate representing Knox County. She was elected Maine's second female Senate Majority Leader on December 4, 1996.
During her tenure as a state legislator, Pingree gained nationwide headlines when she authored the nation's first bill regulating prescription drug prices, Maine Rx.[4] Pingree also shepherded Maine's largest land-bill initiative, Land for Maine's Future.[5]
2002 run for U.S. Senate
In 2002, Pingree made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican junior U.S. Senator Susan Collins. Collins, a popular moderate incumbent, won by a margin of 16%.[6]
U.S. House of Representatives
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Chellie_Pingree.jpg/220px-Chellie_Pingree.jpg)
Elections
- 2008
In April 2007, Pingree filed papers for her bid to run for Maine's 1st congressional district.[7]
On August 15, 2007, EMILY's List endorsed Pingree's campaign for Congress in Maine's 1st District.[8][9] In December 2007 she received the endorsement of 21st Century Democrats.[10] 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; progressive writer and activist Jim Hightower; the United Auto Workers; Planned Parenthood, and the League of Conservation Voters.[11]
Pingree was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2008. She was sworn in to Congress on January 6, 2009.[12]
- 2010
In 2010, she 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.[citation needed]
- 2012
On February 29, 2012, an Associated Press story mentioned that Pingree was starting to circulate petitions to run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the retirement of Olympia Snowe, which she confirmed on The Rachel Maddow Show later that night.[13] She withdrew her name from the race on March 7 and ran for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.[14]
- 2016
In 2016, Chellie Pingree defeated Republican challenger Mark Holbrook by around 16 points.[15]
- 2018
In late 2017, Pingree's name was mentioned as a potential Democratic candidate for governor of Maine, to succeed term-limited incumbent Paul Lepage. In mid-December, she announced plans to run for re-election to the US House.[16] Pingree again faced Dr. Holbrook in the 2018 general election.[17] The race was not considered competitive, and she defeated Dr. Holbrook by around 26 points.[18]
Tenure
Soon after her election, she joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus, of which she is now vice-chairwoman. In September 2010, a video surfaced on the internet showing Pingree at Portland International Jetport disembarking from a private jet owned by her then-fiancé, hedge fund manager S. Donald Sussman. This drew criticism due to past statements made by Pingree critical of legislators using private aircraft. Pingree declined to respond.[19][20] The House Ethics Committee, in a bipartisan letter, stated the travel was permissible under House ethics rules.[21]
Pingree announced on April 26, 2013, that she would not run for Governor of Maine in the 2014 election. She stated that she was "happy" to serve in the House, and that the possibility of a three-way race also factored in to her decision.[22]
Legislation sponsored
On May 23, 2013, Pingree introduced in the United States House of Representatives the York River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2013 (H.R. 2197; 113th Congress). If passed, the bill would require the National Park Service (NPS) to study a segment of the York River in the state of Maine for potential addition to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.[23] The study would be to determine how the proposed designation would affect current recreational and commercial activities.[24] The study would cost approximately $500,000.[25]
Committee assignments
- Committee on Appropriations (2013–Present)
Past
- Committee on Agriculture (2009–2012)
- Committee on Armed Services (2009–2012)
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Progressive Caucus[26] (Vice-Chair)
- Congressional Arts Caucus[27]
- Afterschool Caucuses[28]
- Blue Collar Caucus[29]
- United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus[30]
Political positions
On her campaign website, Pingree lists as key elements of her economic strategy supporting small business in Maine, holding banks and credit cards accountable for consumer protection, increasing Maine manufacturing jobs and preventing the overseas outsourcing of these jobs.[31] Pingree's goals additionally include working towards health care reform, increasing women's rights and equality in the workplace, acquiring more sources of clean energy, and ending the war in Afghanistan.[31]
Interest group ratings
Pingree consistently receives high approval ratings from labor, pro-choice, and environmental interest groups.[32] In 2010, Pingree received a rating of 100% from the AFL-CIO, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the League of Conservation Voters.[32]
Pingree typically receives moderate to low approval ratings from socially and economically conservative groups such as the American Family Association and Citizens Against Government Waste, who in 2009 gave Pingree ratings of 0% and 1% respectively. In 2010 the American political magazine National Journal gave Pingree a Composite Conservative rating of 9%, and a Composite Liberal rating of 92%.[32]
Trade
Pingree is opposed to granting the President fast track authority in negotiating trade agreements, having voted against doing so on June 12, 2015. Pingree stated that such agreements needed more transparency and debate, not less.[33]
Other issues
Pingree helped draft the Fair Elections Now Act, a proposal to provide public 'Fair Elections' funding for popular candidates who raised a sufficient number of small local contributions.[34] Pingree has spoken out against the 2011 Supreme Court ruling McComish v. Bennett which limited public financing systems for congressional candidate campaigns. Representative Pingree favors a campaign finance system that provides increased opportunities for candidates who lack the benefits of private interest and independent expenditure committee funding.[34]
Pingree has consistently voted against resolutions promoting aggressive foreign policy.[35] Pingree voted "yea" in March 2011 on a resolution to remove forces from Afghanistan. In June 2011, Pingree voted "yea" on House Resolution 292, preventing President Barack Obama from deploying ground forces in Libya.[35]
In 2017 Pingree did not attend the inauguration of Donald Trump and instead visited a Planned Parenthood center and a business owned by immigrants. She attended the Women's March on Washington the following day and stood on stage with other politicians who had also refused to attend the inauguration. “We need to do everything we can to let the incoming administration know we are not happy about their agenda. I’ve had unprecedented numbers of my constituents calling me worried about healthcare, the environment, public education, and they feel disrespected,” she said.[36]
Electoral history
Year | Office | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 [37] | Maine's 1st congressional district |
Chellie Pingree | Democratic | 205,629 | 54.90% | Charlie Summers | Republican | 168,930 | 45.10% | ||||
2010 [38] | Democratic | 169,114 | 56.82% | Dean Scontras | Republican | 128,501 | 43.17% | Other | Other | 42 | 0.01% | ||
2012 [39] | Democratic | 236,363 | 64.79% | Jonathan Courtney | Republican | 128,440 | 35.21% | ||||||
2014 [40] | Democratic | 186,309 | 60.3% | Isaac Misiuk | Republican | 94,847 | 30.7% | Richard Murphy | Other | 27,669 | 9.0% | ||
2016 [41] | Democratic | 227,546 | 57.9% | Mark Holbrook | Republican | 164,569 | 42.1% | James Bouchard | Libertarian | 14,551 | 3.6% | ||
2018 [42] | Democratic | 198,853 | 58.8% | Mark Holbrook | Republican | 109,714 | 32.4% | Martin Grohman | Independent | 29,569 | 8.7% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Chellie Pingree | 24,324 | 43.9 | |
Democratic | Adam Cote | 15,706 | 28.3 | |
Democratic | Michael Brennan | 6,040 | 10.9 | |
Democratic | Ethan Strimling | 5,833 | 10.5 | |
Democratic | Mark Lawrence | 2,726 | 4.9 | |
Democratic | Steve Meister | 753 | 1.3 | |
Total votes | 55,382 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Susan Collins (incumbent) | 299,266 | 58.4 | ||
Democratic | Chellie Pingree | 205,901 | 41.6 |
Personal life
Pingree has three children; the oldest, Hannah Pingree, is the Ex-Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives. On June 18, 2011, Pingree married S. Donald Sussman, a hedge fund manager,[22] in a private ceremony at the couple's home in North Haven, Maine.[43]
Until June 1, 2015, Sussman owned a 5% stake in MaineToday Media, the owners of the Portland Press Herald, Kennebec Journal, and Morning Sentinel, in addition to sitting on the board of directors.[44] Articles in those papers that discussed Pingree carried a disclaimer noting her marriage to Sussman.[22][45]
Sussman completed the sale of his stake in MaineToday Media on June 1.[46]
Pingree released a statement on September 8, 2015, announcing her separation and beginning of divorce proceedings from Sussman. She called it an "amicable and truly mutual decision". The two divorced in the summer of 2016.[47]
Pingree is a co-owner, along with her daughter Hannah, of the Nebo Lodge Inn & Restaurant on Maine's North Haven Island.[48]
See also
References
- ^ a b "About Chellie". Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ^ Griffin, Walter (October 3, 2008). "Chellie Pingree: Maine island living shapes longtime politician's views". Bangor Daily News.
- ^ Kyle, Bruce (November 10, 1994). "Hard wins, tough defeats for parties in Knox County". Bangor Daily News.
- ^ Phinney, David (April 17, 2002). "House cancels Pingree's talk on Rx program". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
{{cite news}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-06-12. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "2002 ELECTION STATISTICS". house.gov. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ 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 Archived 2008-07-26 at the Wayback Machine, emilyslist.org; accessed February 15, 2017.
- ^ Pingree Announces Endorsements Archived 2008-02-22 at the Wayback Machine December 20, 2007; accessed 2008-03-05
- ^ Complete list of endorsements Archived 2008-01-25 at the Wayback Machine, ChelliePingree.com; accessed 2008-03-05.
- ^ "New Faces of Congress: The House", New York Times; accessed January 9, 2009.
- ^ "Sen. Snowe's Retirement Causes Maine Scramble". The New York Times. February 29, 2012.
- ^ Livingston, Abby (March 7, 2012). "Maine: Chellie Pingree Passes on Senate Bid". Roll Call.
- ^ "Maine's 1st Congressional District election, 2016". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Pingree says she won't run for governor in 2018". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Maine primary election results 2018: Governor, Senate and House races". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Maine's 1st Congressional District election, 2016". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ Russell, Eric (2010-09-24). "Pingree takes heat for rides on fiance's plane". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Congresswoman Pingree's Travel Record Criticized". WPFO. 2010-09-24. Archived from the original on 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Staff (2010-09-28). "Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree's jet travel cleared by ethics panel". Retrieved 2010-09-30.
- ^ a b c Kevin Miller (2013-04-27). "Chellie Pingree says she won't run for Maine governorl". Kennebec Journal. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
- ^ "CBO – H.R. 2197". Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ "H.R. 2197 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ McDermott, Deborah (30 January 2013). "Renewed effort aims to designate York River 'Wild and Scenic'". Seacoast Online. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
- ^ "Caucus Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Members". Afterschool Alliance. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ Twitter Member list
- ^ "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b Issues Archived 2010-12-21 at the Wayback Machine "Pingree's campaign website" Accessed 2011-11-20
- ^ a b c Chellie Pingree: Interest Group Rating. Project Vote Smart. Accessed 2011-11-20
- ^ "Pingree, Poliquin block Obama's desired fast-track on trade deal". Bangor Daily News. 2015-06-12. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
- ^ a b Pingree, Chellie (June 27, 2011). "Congress needs Fair Elections Now". The Hill.
- ^ a b "Chellie Pingree: Key Votes". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
- ^ Walters, Joanna (January 20, 2017). "Women's March organizers prepare for hundreds of thousands of protesters". The Guardian. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ "ME – District 1 Race – Nov 04, 2008". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "ME – District 1 Race – Nov 02, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "ME – District 1 Race- Nov 06, 2012". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "Maine Election Results 2014". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ^ "2016 Maine House Election Results". Politico. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ^ "Maine Election Results: First House District". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ^ Riskind, Jonathan. "Pingree, Sussman wed". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
- ^ "Chellie Pingree's husband gives boost to MaineToday Media". Bangor Daily News. February 10, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
- ^ "Pingree's letter to federal regulators protests Comcast, Time Warner merger – The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram". The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
- ^ "Midcoast owner completes purchase of MaineToday newspapers". Bangor Daily News. June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ "Maine Democrats find help elsewhere after megadonor's exit". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
- ^ Sekules, Kate. "Maine Vacation: An Amazing Ultra-Locavore Lodge". Food & Wine Magazine. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
Sources
- Wright, Virginia. "Maine's Newest Political Dynasty". Down East: The Magazine of Maine (January 2009).
External links
- Congresswoman Chellie Pingree official U.S. House website
- Campaign webpage
- Chellie Pingree at Curlie
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- 1955 births
- 21st-century American politicians
- 21st-century American women politicians
- American Lutherans
- College of the Atlantic alumni
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Living people
- Maine Democrats
- Majority Leaders of the Maine Senate
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine
- People from North Haven, Maine
- Politicians from Minneapolis
- University of Southern Maine alumni
- Women state legislators in Maine