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A rare open seat opportunity. When Democratic Rep. Tom Allen decided to give up his Democratic-leaning House seat to run for the U.S. Senate, Chellie Pingree, a former state senator, quickly announced she would run — and instantly became the frontrunner in a crowded field. Pingree, who resigned her post as president of Common Cause to run, is a national leader on ethics and reform. And, as majority leader of the Maine Senate, she took on the pharmaceutical industry and won, creating Maine Rx to make prescription drugs more affordable.
A courageous, charismatic candidate. Pingree never shies away from a big challenge. After eight years in the state Senate, she ran an energetic campaign to unseat GOP U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. While she was vastly outspent and attacked by the drug companies, Pingree mobilized thousands of volunteers in a sophisticated grassroots campaign — and earned widespread respect in Maine and nationally for speaking out against the Iraq invasion at a time when few politicians were willing to do so.
An open seat, a crowded field. Ambitious candidates in both parties have their sights set on this open seat, and since it’s been in Democratic hands for the last 12 years, Republicans are anxious to take over. The field includes several proven fundraisers on each side — but no one with Pingree’s combination of experience and bipartisan appeal. She is widely seen as the best Democrat to defend this seat against a GOP takeover attempt — but she needs strong support from EMILY’s List members to meet her campaign budget of $1.5 million.
When Chellie Pingree ran for U.S. Senate from Maine in 2002, drug companies were desperate to defeat her. Their reason? As a state senator, Pingree took on the pharmaceutical industry and won, creating Maine Rx, the first law of its kind in the country, which gave the state the ability to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs bought in bulk.
Pingree was outspent in her effort to unseat GOP Sen. Susan Collins, but she demonstrated rare courage as a candidate, speaking out against the war in Iraq at a time when few candidates were doing so. Her energetic grassroots campaign earned her widespread respect in Maine and nationally. After the 2002 election, she was named president of Common Cause, affirming her prominence as a national leader on issues of ethics and reform.
Now it’s 2008, and Rep. Tom Allen has decided to challenge Collins, leaving Maine’s Democratic-leaning first congressional district open — and creating a rare opportunity to elect a new pro-choice Democratic woman to the House. Pingree quickly announced she would run, becoming the frontrunner in a crowded field of ambitious Democrats. Republicans are expected to make a serious bid for this seat as they seek to regain control of Congress. Pingree, a charismatic leader with a proven record of accomplishment, is the strongest Democrat to fend off a well-funded GOP takeover attempt.
Pingree got involved in politics at the local level, first as a member of the town planning board, then as tax assessor of North Haven, a small town 12 miles off the coast of Maine, then as chair of the school board. She decided to run for the state Senate in 1992 after hearing former Colorado Rep. Pat Schroeder say, “Good people don’t want to run for office anymore.” Pingree defeated a popular Republican incumbent and served for eight years, including four as majority leader, then ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002. The mother of three, Pingree has written five books on knitting, ran a knitting store and mail order business, operated a small farm, and founded a newspaper. “I never anticipated a life in politics,” she says. “But sometimes that is the best way to prepare.”
Maine’s first district leans Democratic, but before Allen won the seat in 1996 it changed hands repeatedly between Democrats and Republicans, and Republicans have indicated they will compete to take it over in 2008 in an effort to win back the House.
Pingree’s Democratic challengers include one current and two former state senators. One candidate is a proven fundraiser who raised more than $700,000 for a Senate bid in 2000. No other Democrat approaches Pingree in strength, appeal, or organizational ability.
The Republican field includes an anti-choice businessman who calls Ronald Reagan his personal hero; and Allen’s 2004 opponent, who raised more than $500,000.
Pingree is an experienced candidate with widespread support across Maine and a history of running smart, efficient campaigns. The Portland Press Herald described her as having “an intangible appeal to rally people to work hard for her.” This was apparent in 2002, when her Senate campaign mobilized 70 field workers and 6,000 volunteers who knocked on 250,000 doors statewide. “There couldn’t be a more important time for me to run,” she says of this House race. “I know I can be a part of delivering needed change to our country.” Pingree is raising money at a steady pace, but needs support to meet her campaign budget of $1.5 million and make sure voters throughout the district hear her message of change.
“For 30 years, I have farmed, raised my children, run a business, and served in this community,” Pingree says. “I have learned from sitting around the table with friends and neighbors, sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, but ultimately figuring out ways to meet our needs with the resources we had. I’ve known tough battles and I am not afraid to fight for what I believe.” As state senator, Pingree fought to raise Maine’s minimum wage, rebuild schools, and strengthen domestic violence and child abuse laws. Her priorities in Congress will be ending the war in Iraq, expanding access to health care, and reducing the country’s dependence on foreign oil.
“I know that education is best if it’s locally controlled, but there are things the federal government can do to help,” says Pingree. “We need a major 21st century investment in education to increase emphasis on math and science, raise teacher salaries, reduce class sizes, and create safe, comfortable places for kids to learn.” Pingree favors revising the No Child Left Behind Act, which she says “punishes low-performing schools instead of helping them.” She will look for ways to make college more affordable for working families, including expanding access to nonpredatory loans, cracking down on abusive lenders, and reducing student loan costs.
Progressive economic and health policies will help people balance work and family responsibilities, Pingree believes. As a state senator, she sponsored a bill to help working women attend college and increase their earning potential, which became a model for a federal bill. She also voted to increase the minimum wage in Maine and to give workers the right to sue employers. In Congress, she will support efforts to strengthen the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Pingree supports trade policies that open markets while protecting the environment and workers. She believes trade agreements should be subject to congressional approval and contain strict provisions to ensure food safety. “We must immediately address and reduce our trade deficit and end tax subsidies for outsourcing jobs,” she says.
Pingree will bring the perspective of a small business owner to the U.S. Congress. Her federal budget priorities include strengthening small businesses, increasing access to affordable health care, and investing in renewable energy — and she believes corporate tax incentives should be tied to these goals. “We need to review corporate tax breaks and evaluate what they are really doing to stimulate our economy,” Pingree says.
“Our defense budget priority should be taking care of those who have served and are serving today,” says Pingree, who will be a strong advocate in Congress for strengthening veterans’ benefits, improving the level of care wounded soldiers receive, and ensuring that troops have the proper equipment, including armored vehicles to protect soldiers from roadside explosives. Pingree will fight to bring troops home from Iraq, a war she opposed from the very beginning. “It is important that we remain focused” on the real terrorism threat, she says. “In my opinion, the war in Iraq has been a distraction from finding Osama bin Laden, who has shown himself to be the true source of terrorism.” Pingree will work with congressional Democrats to undo the damage of the Bush-Cheney foreign policy and restore America’s moral authority in the world.
Pingree is a champion of gay rights and says, “We can do a lot more to ensure full civil rights for all Americans, including ratifying the international treaty on the rights of women, enforcing equal pay laws, and increasing funding for historically black colleges and universities.”
As a state legislator, Pingree promoted gun safety laws and efforts to protect children from sex offenders. She cosponsored legislation to expand the definition of rape, criminalize stalking, and protect the rights of domestic violence victims. She will continue to make these issues priorities in Congress, along with community policing and measures to support law enforcement.
Pingree proved she can face down the giant pharmaceutical industry when she secured enactment of Maine Rx, making a profound difference in the lives of Mainers. Finding a way to cover the nation’s 46 million uninsured citizens will take considerably more effort, and Pingree is ready for the fight. “Our health care problems are not due to a lack of good policy ideas,” she says. “It’s about guts and will. Lawmakers will have to fight back against the armies of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries determined to block change.” The first steps toward the bigger goal include fully funding the state Children’s Health Insurance Program and giving Medicare the ability to negotiate lower prices with drug manufacturers.
“I spent many years as an organic farmer,” says Pingree, “I know how important it is to achieve a healthy balance between growth and conservation.” Pingree believes addressing global warming and reducing the country’s dependence on foreign oil is vital to both economic and environmental health. She will work for federal policies to promote alternative and clean energy technologies, reduce carbon emissions, and increase fuel efficiency. “We also need to offer incentives to promote conservation and protect natural habitats,” she says.
Ensuring that women have access to safe, legal reproductive care has been central to Pingree’s political career. As a state senator, she cosponsored successful legislation to codify Roe v. Wade in Maine and blocked or defeated numerous attempts to restrict women’s access to safe, legal abortions. In Congress, she says, “I will remain a leader in the fight to preserve a woman’s private right to choose.”