Chellie Pingree
U.S. Representative from ME, District 1
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Biography
Chellie Pingree is a 9-term Democratic U.S. Representative from Maine's 1st District and member of the Appropriations Committee focused on sustainable agriculture and fisheries.
Rochelle 'Chellie' Marie Pingree has represented Maine's 1st Congressional District covering southern Maine, including Portland and the midcoast, since 2008. Pingree moved to North Haven island as a young woman, where she operated an organic farming and knitting business while raising her family, later serving in the Maine Senate including as majority leader. She briefly led the liberal advocacy group Common Cause before entering Congress. Pingree serves on the Appropriations Committee, where she influences funding for agriculture, interior, and military construction priorities. She has established herself as a leading congressional voice on sustainable agriculture, local food systems, climate change impacts, and Gulf of Maine fisheries protection. Her legislative work directly reflects her rural Maine constituencies' economic dependence on farming and maritime industries while championing environmental sustainability.