Welcome
Serving in the Maine Senate is both an honor and an incredible responsibility. I'm eager to keep working for our community and all Mainers in the next Legislature.
I am grateful to represent South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and part of Scarborough - Senate District 29 - in the Maine Legislature. During the last two years, you reached out to me by phone, in emails, and in person at office hours, sharing your priorities and your position on legislation. I am moved and inspired by the confidence you’ve placed in me and appreciate your guidance and direction. You help me serve our community as we work together toward a better future.
In 2018 I was elected to the Maine House of Representatives, representing Cape Elizabeth. I served on the Labor and Housing Committee. I also took part in the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations process to assess the impact of legislation on racial disparities.
In 2020 I ran for State Senate to deliver real, concrete change that benefits our community and our state, work that I was able to continue following my reelection in 2022. Your priorities have been at the heart of my work: keeping our communities safe, protecting our environment, supporting working families and providing access to justice in Maine courts. The work we’ve done in the Legislature to address Maine’s most urgent needs has sharpened my focus and increased my passion for service.
This Legislature, with your support, I passed new laws that benefit our community and the people of Maine.
Maine’s expanded Children’s Health Insurance Program was implemented in October 2023. CHIP now provides child-specific insurance for Maine families with income up to 300% of the federal poverty level. Thousands of Maine children now have access to health insurance coverage that is not dependent on their parents’ jobs, funded primarily with federal dollars.
As a leader of our work to prevent gun violence in Maine, I introduced and voted for responsible firearm safety laws so Mainers can feel safe going about their day-to-day lives while also protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. We passed a 72-hour waiting period and strengthened Maine’s background check law. Sadly, legislation that sought to keep weapons of war out of civilian hands by prohibiting firearms modified to function like machine guns, passed the Senate and House but was vetoed by the Governor.
My colleagues and I continued to provide two years of free community college to Maine high school graduates, a life-changing opportunity for students and crucial support for economic growth in Maine. We also funded 55% of K-12 public education, supporting our students, teachers and taxpayers.
Maine’s air, soil and water are cleaner with legislation implementing tighter restrictions on emissions from oil tank farms and ensuring that so-called ‘chemical recycling’ companies comply with our solid waste and environmental protection laws if they try to set up business in Maine.
Continuing four years of leadership as Senate Chair of the Judiciary Committee, I led bipartisan efforts that increased funding for civil legal services and restructured our system for providing criminal defense for those unable to afford legal representation by creating the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services. I also took a leadership role in improving access to treatment and recovery court programs in rural Maine.
I’ve worked hard to address the challenges our community and state face, and I am eager to continue working to improve the lives of Mainers and this state we all love. You can count on me to bring six years of legislative experience, thoughtfulness and compassion, determination and respectful leadership to the Maine Senate. Please know that I will serve tirelessly on behalf of you, our community, and Maine.
