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Chellie Pingree

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Chellie Pingree
Pingree in 2022
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromMaine's1stdistrict
Assumed office
January 3, 2009
Preceded byTom Allen
Member of theMaine Senate
from the 12th district
21st district (1992–1994)
In office
December 2, 1992 – December 6, 2000
Preceded byLinda Curtis Brawn
Succeeded byChristine Savage
Personal details
Born
Rochelle Marie Johnson

(1955-04-02)April 2, 1955(age 69)
Minneapolis,Minnesota,U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Charlie Pingree
​
(divorced)​
​
​
(m.2011;div.2016)​
Children3, includingHannah
EducationCollege of the Atlantic(BS)
AwardsMaine Women's Hall of Fame(2001)
WebsiteHouse website
Chellie Pingree's voice
Pingree speaks in opposition to theTrump administration'sdecision to allow offshore drilling in all U.S. waters
Recorded January 18, 2018

Chellie MariePingree(/ˈʃɛliˈpɪŋɡriː/SHELL-eePING-gree;bornRochelle Marie Johnson;April 2, 1955) is an American politician serving as theU.S. representativeforMaine's 1st congressional districtsince 2009.[1]Her district includes most of the southern part of the state, includingPortlandandAugusta.

A member of theDemocratic Party,Pingree was a member of theMaine Senatefrom 1992 to 2000, serving asmajority leaderfor her last four years. She ran for theUnited States Senatein2002,losing to incumbent RepublicanSusan Collins.From 2003 until 2006, she was president and CEO ofCommon Cause.She is the first Democratic woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine.

Early life, education, and early career[edit]

Pingree was born Rochelle Marie Johnson, inMinneapolis, 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 theUniversity of Southern Maineand graduated fromCollege of the Atlanticwith a degree in human ecology. Since graduating from College of the Atlantic, she has resided onNorth Haven,a small island community off the coast ofRockland.

Pingree held various farming and care-taking jobs until 1981, when she started North Island Yarn, acottage industryof 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 Fellowshipsselected her as a USA Eisenhower Fellow in 1997.[1]

Common Cause[edit]

As the leader ofCommon Cause,Pingree was active in the organization's programs in media reform, elections, ethics, and money in politics. She supportednet neutrality,mandatory voter-verified paper ballots, public financing of congressional elections, national popular vote (a workaround for theElectoral 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[edit]

Elections[edit]

Pingree was first elected in 1992.[3]She was outspoken against going towar against Iraq,[4]although counseled by party insiders to avoid that subject. She was reelected in 1994[5]and 1996. In 2000, she was unable to seek reelection due to term limits.[6]

Tenure[edit]

Pingree representedKnox Countyin theMaine Senate.She was elected Maine's second female majority leader in 1996.

During her tenure as a state legislator, Pingree made nationwide headlines when she authored the nation's first bill regulating prescription drug prices, Maine Rx.[7]She also shepherded Maine's largest land-bill initiative, Land for Maine's Future.[8]

2002 U.S. Senate campaign[edit]

Main article:2002 United States Senate election in Maine

In 2002, Pingree ran for theU.S. Senateseat held by Republican junior U.S. SenatorSusan Collins.Collins, a popular moderate incumbent, won by a margin of 17%.[9]

U.S. House of Representatives[edit]

Pingree during the111th Congress

Elections[edit]

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

In April 2007, Pingree filed papers for her bid to run forMaine's 1st congressional district.[10]

On August 15, 2007,EMILY's Listendorsed Pingree for Congress.[11][12]In December 2007, she was endorsed by21st Century Democrats.[13]She was endorsed by a number of labor organizations and many individuals and state officials, including CongressmanRush D. Holt Jr.;CongresswomanJan Schakowsky;Maine Senate Majority LeaderLibby Mitchell;former Maine Senate Assistant Majority LeaderAnne Rand;State RepresentativePaulette Beaudoin;progressive writer and activistJim Hightower;theUnited Auto Workers;Planned Parenthood,and theLeague of Conservation Voters.[14]

Pingree was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2008. She was sworn in on January 6, 2009.[15]

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

Pingree was reelected in 2010, defeating Republican nominee Dean Scontras by a 57–43 margin. She overcame strong anti-Democrat and anti-incumbent political sentiment to become just one of eight House Democrats to receive a higher percentage of the vote than in 2008.[1]

2012
See also:2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine § District 1

On February 29, 2012, an Associated Press story mentioned that Pingree was starting to circulate petitions to run forthe U.S. Senate seatvacated by the retirement ofOlympia Snowe,which she confirmed onThe Rachel Maddow Showlater that night.[16]She withdrew her name from the race on March 7 and was reelected to the House.[17]

2014
See also:2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine § District 1

In 2014, Pingree won with 60% of the vote against a Republican who had not previously run for elective office and an independent candidate.

2016
See also:2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine § District 1

In 2016, Pingree defeated Republican nominee Mark Holbrook by around 16 points.[18]

2018
See also:2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine § District 1

In late 2017, Pingree's name was mentioned as a potential Democratic candidate for governor of Maine, to succeed term-limited incumbentPaul LePage.In mid-December, she announced plans to run for reelection to the House.[19]Pingree defeated Holbrook again by around 26 points.[20]

2020
See also:2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine § District 1

Pingree was reelected, defeating Republican nominee Jay Allen.[21][22]

2022
See also:2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine § District 1

Pingree was reelected in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Edwin Thelander by 24 percentage points.

Tenure[edit]

Soon after her election, Pingree joined theCongressional Progressive Caucus,of which she is now vice chair. In September 2010, a video surfaced on the internet showing Pingree atPortland International Jetportdisembarking from a private jet owned by her then-fiancé, hedge fund managerS. Donald Sussman.This drew criticism due to past statements Pingree made critical of legislators using private aircraft. Pingree declined to respond.[23][24]The House Ethics Committee, in a bipartisan letter, stated the travel was permissible under House ethics rules.[25]

Legislation sponsored[edit]

On May 23, 2013, Pingree introduced theYork River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2013 (H.R. 2197; 113th Congress).If passed, the bill would require theNational Park Service(NPS) to study a segment of theYork Riverin Maine for potential addition to theWild and Scenic Rivers System.[26]The study would determine how the proposed designation would affect recreational and commercial activities.[27]The study would cost approximately $500,000.[28]

Committee assignments[edit]

Past[edit]

Caucus memberships[edit]

Political positions[edit]

Pingree opposes granting the presidentfast track authorityin negotiating trade agreements, having voted against doing so on June 12, 2015. She said that such agreements need more transparency and debate, not less.[35]

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.[36]She has spoken out against the 2011 Supreme Court rulingMcComish v. Bennett,which limits public financing systems for congressional campaigns.[36]

Pingree has consistently voted against aggressive foreign policy.[37]In March 2011, she voted for a resolution to remove forces fromAfghanistan.In June 2011, she voted for House Resolution 292, preventing PresidentBarack Obamafrom deploying ground forces inLibya.[37]

In 2017, Pingree did not attend the inauguration ofDonald Trump,instead visiting aPlanned Parenthoodcenter and a business owned by immigrants. She attended the2017 Women's Marchthe next day and stood on stage with other politicians who had refused to attend the inauguration.[38]In July 2019, Pingree joined 95 Democrats voting for an impeachment resolution against Trump. Maine representativeJared Goldenand 136 other Democrats joined all Republicans to kill the resolution.[39]

In July 2019, Pingree voted against H. Res. 246 - 116th Congress, a House Resolution introduced byBrad Schneideropposing efforts to boycott the State ofIsraeland the GlobalBoycott, Divestment, and SanctionsMovement targeting Israel.[40]The resolution passed 398–17.[41]

On December 18, 2019, Pingree voted to impeach Trump.[42]

Alongside her House colleagues, Pingree has urged President Joe Biden to declare a national climate emergency.[43]She supportsAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal resolution.[44]

Pingree voted with PresidentJoe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the117th Congress,according to aFiveThirtyEightanalysis.[45]

Syria[edit]

In 2023, Pingree was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed PresidentJoe Bidento remove U.S. troops fromSyriawithin 180 days.[46][47]

Electoral history[edit]

Year Office Candidate Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
2008[48] Maine's
1st
congressional
district 		Chellie Pingree Democratic 205,629 54.90% Charlie Summers Republican 168,930 45.10%
2010[49] Democratic 169,114 56.82% Dean Scontras Republican 128,501 43.17% Other Other 42 0.01%
2012[50] Democratic 236,363 64.79% Jonathan Courtney Republican 128,440 35.21%
2014[51] Democratic 186,309 60.3% Isaac Misiuk Republican 94,847 30.7% Richard Murphy Other 27,669 9.0%
2016[52] Democratic 227,546 57.9% Mark Holbrook Republican 164,569 42.1% James Bouchard Libertarian 14,551 3.6%
2018[53] Democratic 198,853 58.8% Mark Holbrook Republican 109,714 32.4% Martin Grohman Independent 29,569 8.7%
2020[54] Democratic 271,004 62.2% Jay Allen Republican 165,008 37.8%
2022 Democratic 218,630 62.8% Ed Thelander Republican 128,996 37.1%
2008 U.S. House Democratic primary, 1st district of Maine
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
Maine U.S. Senate Election 2002
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Susan Collins(incumbent) 299,266 58.4
Democratic Chellie Pingree 205,901 41.6

Personal life[edit]

Pingree has three children; the oldest,Hannah Pingree,is the former Speaker of theMaine House of Representatives.On June 18, 2011, Pingree marriedS. Donald Sussman,a hedge fund manager,[55]in a private ceremony at the couple's home in North Haven, Maine.[56]

Until June 1, 2015, Sussman owned a 75%[57]stake inMaineToday Media,the owners of thePortland Press Herald,Kennebec Journal,andMorning Sentinel,in addition to sitting on the board of directors.[58]Articles in those papers that discussed Pingree carried a disclaimer noting her marriage to Sussman.[55][59]

Sussman completed the sale of his stake in MaineToday Media on June 1, 2015.[60]

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". They divorced in the summer of 2016.[61]

Pingree and her daughter Hannah co-own the Nebo Lodge Inn & Restaurant on Maine's North Haven Island.[62]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"About Chellie".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-10-23.Retrieved2014-10-24.
  2. ^Griffin, Walter (2008-10-03)."Chellie Pingree: Maine island living shapes longtime politician's views".Bangor Daily News.
  3. ^"Chellie M Pingree".Iowa State University of Science and Technology.Retrieved2021-02-24.
  4. ^"Chellie Pingree".Peace Action.Retrieved2021-02-24.
  5. ^Kyle, Bruce (1994-11-10)."Hard wins, tough defeats for parties in Knox County".Bangor Daily News.
  6. ^"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree – About".United States House of Representatives.Retrieved2021-02-24.
  7. ^Phinney, David (2002-04-17)."House cancels Pingree's talk on Rx program".Bangor Daily News.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-06-10.Retrieved2016-05-09.
  8. ^"U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree Fighting for Change in Washington DC".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-06-12.Retrieved2013-03-10.
  9. ^"2002 ELECTION STATISTICS".house.gov.Retrieved2015-09-12.
  10. ^Announcement to run for CongressBoston Globe,April 6, 2007; accessed 2008-03-05
  11. ^EMILY's List Announces Endorsement of Chellie Pingree for Maine 1st DistrictEMILY'S List, press release Accessed 2008-03-05
  12. ^Chellie Pingree U.S. House, MEArchived2008-07-26 at theWayback Machine,emilyslist.org; accessed 2017-02-15.
  13. ^Pingree Announces EndorsementsArchived2008-02-22 at theWayback Machine2007-12-20; accessed 2008-03-05
  14. ^Complete list of endorsementsArchived2008-01-25 at theWayback Machine,ChelliePingree; accessed 2008-03-05.
  15. ^"New Faces of Congress: The House",New York Times; accessed 2009-01-09.
  16. ^"Sen. Snowe's Retirement Causes Maine Scramble".The New York Times.2012-02-29.
  17. ^Livingston, Abby (2012-03-07)."Maine: Chellie Pingree Passes on Senate Bid".Roll Call.
  18. ^"Maine's 1st Congressional District election, 2016".Ballotpedia.Retrieved2018-07-18.
  19. ^"Pingree says she won't run for governor in 2018".Bangor Daily News.19 December 2017.Retrieved2018-07-18.
  20. ^"Maine's 1st Congressional District election, 2016".Ballotpedia.Retrieved2019-01-30.
  21. ^Ohm, Rachel (2020-11-04)."Pingree declares victory in Maine's 1st Congressional District".Press Herald.Retrieved2020-11-05.
  22. ^"November 3, 2020 General Election".Maine Department of Secretary of State.Retrieved2020-08-30.
  23. ^Russell, Eric (2010-09-24)."Pingree takes heat for rides on fiance's plane".Bangor Daily News. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-07-20.Retrieved2010-09-27.
  24. ^"Congresswoman Pingree's Travel Record Criticized".WPFO. 2010-09-24. Archived fromthe originalon 2010-09-26.Retrieved2010-09-27.
  25. ^Staff (2010-09-28)."Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree's jet travel cleared by ethics panel".Retrieved2010-09-30.
  26. ^"CBO – H.R. 2197".Congressional Budget Office. 2013-07-29.Retrieved2014-03-03.
  27. ^"H.R. 2197 – Summary".United States Congress.Retrieved2014-03-03.
  28. ^McDermott, Deborah (2013-01-30)."Renewed effort aims to designate York River 'Wild and Scenic'".Seacoast Online.Retrieved2014-03-04.
  29. ^"Caucus Members".Congressional Progressive Caucus.Retrieved2018-01-30.
  30. ^"Membership".Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived fromthe originalon 2018-06-12.Retrieved2018-03-13.
  31. ^"Members".Afterschool Alliance.Retrieved2018-04-18.
  32. ^Twitter Member list
  33. ^"Our Members".U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived fromthe originalon 2018-08-01.Retrieved2018-08-05.
  34. ^"Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
  35. ^"Pingree, Poliquin block Obama's desired fast-track on trade deal".Bangor Daily News.2015-06-12.Retrieved2015-06-12.
  36. ^abPingree, Chellie (2011-06-27)."Congress needs Fair Elections Now".The Hill.
  37. ^ab"Chellie Pingree: Key Votes".Project Vote Smart.Retrieved2012-03-08.
  38. ^Walters, Joanna (2017-01-20)."Women's March organizers prepare for hundreds of thousands of protesters".The Guardian.Retrieved2017-01-23.
  39. ^"House votes to kill impeachment resolution against Trump".The Washington Post.2019-07-17.Retrieved2019-08-03.
  40. ^Clare Foran (2019-07-24)."Who voted 'no' on the House resolution opposing Israel boycott movement".CNN.Retrieved2019-07-25.
  41. ^Schneider, Bradley Scott (2019-07-23)."H.Res.246 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel".congress.gov.Retrieved2019-07-25.
  42. ^Panetta, Grace."WHIP COUNT: Here's which members of the House voted for and against impeaching Trump".Business Insider.Retrieved2020-01-21.
  43. ^"Pingree urges Biden to declare a climate emergency".Maine Public.2022-07-22.Retrieved2022-08-02.
  44. ^"Pingree Announces Support for Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal Resolution".U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree.2018-11-27.Retrieved2022-08-02.
  45. ^Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (2021-04-22)."Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?".FiveThirtyEight.Retrieved2023-11-15.
  46. ^"H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove the United States Armed Forces from Syria".GovTrack.Retrieved2023-03-10.
  47. ^"House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria".U.S. News & World Report.2023-03-08.Retrieved2023-03-10.
  48. ^"ME – District 1 Race – Nov 04, 2008".Our Campaigns.Retrieved22 March2013.
  49. ^"ME – District 1 Race – Nov 02, 2010".Our Campaigns.Retrieved22 March2013.
  50. ^"ME – District 1 Race- Nov 06, 2012".Our Campaigns.Retrieved22 March2013.
  51. ^"Maine Election Results 2014".The New York Times.Retrieved4 January2016.
  52. ^"2016 Maine House Election Results".Politico.Retrieved15 November2018.
  53. ^"Maine Election Results: First House District".The New York Times.Retrieved15 November2018.
  54. ^"November 3, 2020 General Election".Maine Department of Secretary of State.RetrievedNovember 24,2020.
  55. ^abKevin Miller (2013-04-27)."Chellie Pingree says she won't run for Maine governorl".Kennebec Journal.Retrieved2013-04-27.
  56. ^Riskind, Jonathan."Pingree, Sussman wed".Portland Press Herald.Retrieved2011-06-20.
  57. ^"Sussman-owned group acquires 75 percent share of MaineToday Media".Bangor Daily News.2012-03-27.Retrieved2020-01-02.
  58. ^"Chellie Pingree's husband gives boost to MaineToday Media".Bangor Daily News.2012-02-10.Retrieved2014-05-18.
  59. ^"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.2014-03-05.Retrieved2015-09-12.
  60. ^"Midcoast owner completes purchase of MaineToday newspapers".Bangor Daily News.2015-06-01.Retrieved2015-06-02.
  61. ^"Maine Democrats find help elsewhere after megadonor's exit".Portland Press Herald.Retrieved2016-11-16.
  62. ^Sekules, Kate."Maine Vacation: An Amazing Ultra-Locavore Lodge".Food & Wine Magazine.Retrieved2013-05-06.

Sources[edit]

  • Wright, Virginia. "Maine's Newest Political Dynasty".Down East: The Magazine of Maine(January 2009).

External links[edit]

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Party political offices
Preceded by Democraticnominee forU.S. SenatorfromMaine
(Class 2)
2002 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromMaine's 1st congressional district
2009–present 		Incumbent
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Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
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