Maine
Maine stands out among the New England states for its representation by women at the federal level: both US Senators from Maine are women and one of the state’s two Members of Congress is a woman, making three-quarters of the delegation female. Women comprise almost 29% of the state legislature.
Maine Firsts:
- 1881: Edith Nourse Rogers who would become the longest serving woman in the history of the U.S. Congress (from Massachusetts) was born in Saco, Maine
- 1940: Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman elected to Congress from Maine, eventually serving in the U.S. Senate as well, making her the first woman in the nation to serve in both bodies; she was also the first woman to receive a major-party nomination to run for President in 1964
- 2008: Janet Mills was elected Attorney General by the Maine Legislature, making her the first female Attorney General in Maine
Did You Know . . .
- The State of Maine has only one statewide elected executive – the Governor – and to date no woman has ever been elected Governor?
- Current U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe served in Congress from 1979-1994 and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994?
- Of the four federally elected officials from Maine, women currently occupy three of the four offices? In 2009, U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree joined Senators Olympia Snowe and
