Hitting the ground running, Pingree brings deep experience, strong results, and fresh momentum to the race
NORTH HAVEN, MAINE — Former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives Hannah Pingree announced today that she is running for Governor of Maine.
Hannah, who served most recently as Director of Governor Mills’ Office of Policy Innovation and the Future where she tackled the state’s most pressing issues, is hitting the ground running with a full day of events today in Rockland, Lewiston, Biddeford, and Portland. At each stop, Pingree will meet with supporters and local leaders to share her vision for Maine’s future.
“All across Maine, people are doing their part and working hard — raising families, running small businesses, caring for their neighbors, and doing everything they can to build stronger communities. ” said Hannah.
“I am running for Governor to bring Maine people together to do the hard things that none of us can do by ourselves. As a state, we face real challenges — but I also know we have real opportunities. I believe in Maine, and I believe in Mainers. I’m ready to travel the state to listen, to learn, and to talk about how we can build a strong future for Maine.”
Hannah said her campaign will focus on the challenges that matter most to Maine families and communities—expanding access to affordable housing and health care, addressing the rising cost of living, and building strong communities across the state. She’s committed to growing the economy, creating good-paying jobs in every region, and strengthening Maine’s workforce for the future. Hannah will also work to protect Maine’s environment—including our working waterfronts, farms, and forests—from the impacts of the climate crisis.
Supporters featured in Hannah’s launch video describe her as a fearless and resilient leader.
“She was not afraid to take anything on,” one says. “She doesn’t give up easily—she doesn’t give up at all,” adds another. One supporter calls her a fighter, saying, “My word, she’s as tough as anyone I know.”
Hannah is a lifelong Mainer, leader, and mom who knows how to get things done. Born in Belfast and raised on the island of North Haven, she’s led at every level—serving as Maine’s Speaker of the House, running a small business, chairing her local school board, and tackling Maine’s biggest challenges as the Director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. From expanding access to health care and affordable housing to protecting Maine’s environment, Hannah has a track record of bringing people together and delivering results for Maine people and communities.
Hannah learned the importance of public service from an early age. Her father, a boat builder, served on the school board and volunteered as an EMT. And the work of her mother, first in the state legislature and now in Congress, gave Hannah a front row seat to what it takes to truly serve. In 2002, at the age of 25, Hannah was elected to the Maine House, and in 2008, she became the youngest woman in the nation, and only the second woman in Maine history, to serve as Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.
After leaving office, Hannah focused on raising her young kids, ran a small business, and served on her local school board. In 2019, Governor Janet Mills appointed her to lead her Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, calling Hannah “extraordinarily well-qualified”. From climate action and housing, storm resiliency and recovery, to the needs of children, older Mainers and the future of Maine’s economy and workforce, Hannah drove the kind of long-term, big-picture change that actually improves communities and lives. Some of Hannah’s achievements include:
- Leading State efforts to expand the housing supply in Maine, resulting in $300 million dedicated for affordable housing production in recent years through direct investments and powerful incentives;
- Developing the single largest investment in storm recovery in Maine history to help Maine homes, businesses, and communities recover following the storms of December 2023 and January 2024.
- Developing bipartisan legislation to enhance emergency planning at all levels of government, prepare communities and infrastructure for severe weather, and reduce long-term storm-related risks and costs for Maine homeowners and businesses
- Launching the Community Resilience Partnership which now include 263 participating communities representing 76 percent of Maine’s population and has awarded $18.8 million in grants to Maine towns, cities, tribal governments, and regional planning, economic development, and community organizations
- Overseeing the implementation of $35 million to the Maine Community College System for free and low-cost vocational training, $20 million to help schools build out new career and technical education facilities or job training equipment, helping parents through $25 million to create over 4,850 child care and pre-kindergarten slots, and $5 million to connect workers and employers with better transportation
With hard work, common sense, and a deep love for her home, Hannah shows up, listens, and delivers—because that’s exactly what Mainers deserve.
The campaign’s launch day includes stops in Rockland, Lewiston, Biddeford, and Portland, concluding with an evening rally at Bayside Bowl.
Launch Day Events — Tuesday, June 10
- 7:30 a.m. — Live Interview on Bangor’s WVOM Radio
- 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. — Kickoff with supporters in Rockland
- 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. — Lunch with Mayor Carl Sheline, Mayor Jeff Harmon, and community leaders in Lewiston
- 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. — Economic development tour with Mayor Marty Grohman in Biddeford
- 5:30 p.m. — Evening rally at Bayside Bowl, Portland
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