Maine Senate

Maine State Senate
Maine State Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
4 Terms (8 years)
History
New session started
December 3, 2014
Leadership
President of the Senate
Michael Thibodeau(R)
Since December 3, 2014
Majority Leader
Garrett Mason(R)
Since December 3, 2014
Minority Leader
Justin Alfond(D)
Since December 3, 2014
Structure
Seats 35
Political groups

Governing party

Opposition party

Length of term
2 years
Authority Article IV, Part Second, Maine Constitution
Salary Session 1: $13,526/year
Session 2: $9,661/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 4, 2014
(35 seats)
Next election
November 8, 2016
(35 seats)
Redistricting Legislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
Maine State House
Augusta, Maine
Website
Maine State Senate

The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution allows for "an odd number of Senators, not less than 31 nor more than 35".[1] Unlike the lower House, the Senate does not set aside nonvoting seats for Native tribes. Because it is a part-time position, members of the Maine Senate usually have outside employment as well.

The Senate meets at the Maine State House in Augusta. Members are limited to four consecutive terms with each term being two years but may run again after a two year wait.

Leadership

Unlike many U.S. states, the Senate's leader is not the lieutenant governor, as Maine does not have a lieutenant governor. Instead, the Senate chooses its own president, who is also the first in the line of gubernatorial succession.

Composition of the Senate

127th Legislature, 2014-2016
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Republican Democratic Independent Vacant
125th (2010-12) 20 14 1 35 0
126th Legislature (2012-14) 15 19 1 35 0
Begin 127th 21 14 0 35 0
January 8, 2015[2] 20 15
January 26, 2016[3] 14 34 1
March 30, 2016[4] 15 35 0
Latest voting share 57.1% 42.9%

One seat was initially in dispute due to a discrepancy in the number of ballots counted. Senate District 25 was won on election night by Democrat Catherine Breen by 32 votes. However, a recount put Republican Cathy Manchester in the lead by 11. The new Republican-led Senate formed a committee to determine what happened and who won the seat. Manchester, the Republican, was provisionally seated pending the outcome of the investigation.[5] The committee found during its investigation that 21 ballots for Manchester were counted twice,[6] which meant that Breen was the actual winner. Manchester resigned her seat and conceded Breen won the race.[7]

Officers

Position Name Party
President of the Senate Michael Thibodeau Rep
Majority Leader Garrett Mason Rep
Assistant Majority Leader Andre Cushing Rep
Minority Leader Justin Alfond Dem
Assistant Minority Leader Dawn Hill Dem
Secretary of the Senate Heather J.R. Priest Non-Partisan
Assistant Secretary of the Senate Shawn L. Roderick Non-Partisan

Members of the Maine Senate

Districts are currently numbered starting with 1 from north to south. This is reversed after each decennial redistricting, which will next occur in 2021 and will go into effect beginning with the 2022 primary and general elections. The current district lines, which were drawn in 2013 and were first used in the 2014 primary and general elections, will only be in effect for 8 years rather than the usual 10 as Maine adjusts its legislative redistricting cycle to conform with most other states.

District Senator Party Residence Primary County First elected Term limited
1 Peter Edgecomb Rep Caribou Aroostook 2014 2022
2 Michael Willette Rep Presque Isle Aroostook 2014 2022
3 Rodney Whittemore Rep Skowhegan Somerset 2010 2018
4 Paul Davis Rep Sangerville Piscataquis 2014 2022
5 Jim Dill Dem Old Town Penobscot 2014 2022
6 David Burns Rep Perry Washington 2012 2020
7 Brian Langley Rep Ellsworth Hancock 2010 2018
8 Kim Rosen Rep Bucksport Hancock 2014 2022
9 Geoffrey Gratwick Dem Bangor Penobscot 2012 2020
10 Andre Cushing Rep Hampden Penobscot 2012 2020
11 Michael Thibodeau Rep Winterport Waldo 2010 2018
12 David Miramant Dem Camden Knox 2014 2022
13 Christopher K. Johnson Dem Somerville Lincoln 2012* 2018
14 Earle McCormick Rep West Gardiner Kennebec 2014
(2006-2012)
2022
15 Roger Katz Rep Augusta Kennebec 2010 2018
16 Scott Cyrway Rep Benton Kennebec 2014 2022
17 Thomas Saviello Rep Wilton Franklin 2010 2018
18 John Patrick Dem Rumford Oxford 2010 2018
19 James Hamper Rep Oxford Oxford 2012 2020
20 Eric Brakey Rep Auburn Androscoggin 2014 2022
21 Nate Libby Dem Lewiston Androscoggin 2014 2022
22 Garrett Mason Rep Lisbon Falls Androscoggin 2010 2018
23 Linda Baker Rep Topsham Sagadahoc 2014 2022
24 Stanley Gerzofsky Dem Brunswick Cumberland 2008 2016
25 Catherine Breen Dem Falmouth Cumberland 2014[8] 2022
26 Bill Diamond Dem Windham Cumberland 2014
(1982-1986;2004-2012)
2022
27 Justin Alfond Dem Portland Cumberland 2008 2016
28 Anne Haskell Dem Portland Cumberland 2012 2020
29 Rebecca Millett Dem Cape Elizabeth Cumberland 2012 2020
30 Amy Volk Rep Scarborough Cumberland 2014 2022
31 Linda Valentino Dem Saco York 2012 2020
32 Susan Deschambault Dem Biddeford York March 2016 2024
33 David Woodsome Rep Waterboro York 2012 2022
34 Ronald Collins Rep Wells York 2010 2018
35 Dawn Hill Dem Cape Neddick York 2010 2018

References

  1. Maine Constitution Article IV. -- Part Second.Senate.
  2. Provisionally seated Sen. Cathy Manchester resigned so Catherine Breen, who was determined to have won the election in a recount, could take the seat.
  3. Democrat David Dutremble (District 32) resigned his seat.
  4. Democrat Susan Deschambault was elected to fill the seat vacated by Dutremble.
  5. "Maine Senate votes to seat GOP candidate Manchester in still-contested race". Bangor Daily News. December 3, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  6. "Investigation into Senate District 25 election reveals that 21 votes were tallied twice during recount, likely reversing outcome again". Bangor Daily News. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  7. "Democrat wins Senate election after investigation reveals ‘phantom ballots’ for GOP opponent did not exist". Bangor Daily News. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  8. Due to a protracted recount, Sen. Breen didn't assume office until January 8, 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, March 30, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.