Chellie Pingree

Office Seeking: U.S. House, Maine-1^st District

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Supported labor unions by voting to allow workers to sue their employers and to limit mandatory overtime
• Favored an increase in the minimum wage as well as universal health care coverage for all, the importation of prescription drugs, and the expansion of drug coverage for Medicare.
• Favored a decrease in defense spending while pushing to increase funding in education, the environment, medical research, and public health services
• Voted to decrease the tax burden on working families

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: June 8, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Dean Scontras

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like her: For the past sixteen years, Congresswoman Pingree has consistently received a score of over 90% from the AFL/CIO. She supports closing loopholes in the tax code that favor hedge funds while insisting that the wealthy contribute their fair share.

Candidate Quote: "Both of the parties' proposals fail to get at the heart of the problem, which is a complete lack of enforcement of the rules in Congress. Without credible enforcement, new rules are just more words."

Candidate website: http://www.pingreeforcongress.com/

Chellie Pingree arrived at a career in public service by an unusual route. After settling in Maine in her teens, she attended the University of Southern Maine, and graduated from the College of the Atlantic with a degree in Human Ecology. After college she held various farming and care-taking jobs until 1981, when she started North Island Yarn, a cottage industry of hand knitters with a retail store on North Haven. Her business expanded and became North Island Designs, employing as many as ten workers. North Island Yarn 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.

Race Type: Democratic Protect