Chellie Pingree

Chellie Pingree is running for an open seat in the First Congressional District in Maine, which is located on the Southern border and coast including the cities of Portland and Augusta. Current Congressman, Tom Allen (D), is running for the United States Senate against Susan Collins (R).

Background:
Until 2007, Chellie Pingree was the National President and CEO of Common Cause. In 2002, Pingree ran an unsuccessful race against incumbent United States Senator Susan Collins. From 1992 to 2000, Pingree served in the Maine State Senate, where she rose to the position of Senate Majority Leader. While in that position, she developed and chaired Maine Women’s Vote Project to raise women’s political participation in Maine and to support the election of women to the Maine State Legislature. Currently, the Maine State Senate is 34% women. Chellie Pingree brought to these jobs all of her experience as a mother, farmer, small business owner, school board member and tax assessor. Pingree went to the University of Southern Maine and graduated from the College of the Atlantic. She was also a Summer Fellow at the Kennedy School of government at Harvard University.

Positions on Key Issues:

• Supports: Reproductive Rights, Limitation on Greenhouse Gas, Tax on Carbon, Development of Clean Energy Sources, Single Payer Healthcare System, Higher Capital Gains Taxes
• Opposes: Iraq war

Supported By:

• Feminist Majority
• EMILY’s List
• Teamsters Local 340
• 21st Century Democrats
• National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC)
• United Food and Commercial Workers
• Women’s Campaign Forum (WCF)
• Transport Workers Union

Prospects:
Solid D district. Winning the primary election is tantamount to winning the seat.

Website:
www.chelliepingree.com