BAR HARBOR, Maine — An attorney who has championed numerous environmental and human rights causes in Maine has announced that she intends to run for governor in 2010.
Lynne Williams, 58, is state chairman of the Maine Green Independent Party and serves on the planning board in Bar Harbor. She has lived in Maine for 10 years, first in Augusta and then in Rockland before moving to Bar Harbor four years ago. In 2004, she ran unsuccessfully for the Maine House of Representatives as a Green party candidate in Rockland.
In addition to her legal degree, Williams has a doctorate in psychology from the University of Southern California. She grew up in New York City and has a grown son who is in college in San Francisco.
Williams announced her Blaine House bid in a prepared statement she sent Monday to the Bangor Daily News.
“The Green party platform, and my own values, are particularly suited to guiding a state through this type of [difficult economic] period,” Williams said in the statement. “I seek to create a new definition of growth and progress, where such terms are not defined by how many Wal-Marts are in a region, but rather by how much people in that region support and patronize their own locally owned businesses.”
Williams has been involved in numerous environmental and human rights causes in Maine over the past decade.
As an attorney, she represents Forest Ecology Network and RESTORE: The North Woods in their roles as intervenors in the permitting process for the Plum Creek development proposal on Moosehead Lake. She represents the Wildlife Alliance of Maine and Animal Welfare Institute in their efforts to protect endangered lynx by increasing restrictions on trapping in the state.
She also represents groups that oppose the development of liquefied natural gas terminals in Washington County and southern Maine towns that are concerned about Poland Spring’s use of groundwater in its water-bottling operations.
Former clients include anti-war protesters charged with criminal trespass after refusing to leave the Bangor offices of U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, and Friends of Magurrewock, which sought to halt construction of a new border crossing in the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Calais. She also represented Deane Brown, an inmate at Maine State Prison in Warren who unsuccessfully sued prison officials for barring him from speaking to the media.
Williams has advocated for repeal of Maine’s school administration consolidation law, favors impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and briefly represented two men who were accused of trespassing on Martha Stewart’s property on Mount Desert Island. She has helped gay and lesbian couples in Maine register as domestic partners and has been honored by the Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine for representing nonviolent protesters of the Iraq war.
Many politicians and business leaders in Maine have been rumored to be considering running for governor in 2010, but so far the only other person to indicate he plans to run is Steven Rowe, a Democrat who is barred by term limits from seeking another term as Maine’s attorney general. Gov. John Baldacci is barred by term limits from running for re-election.
A senior aide to Tom Allen, who this year unsuccessfully challenged Susan Collins for her U.S. Senate seat, has said the congressman will not run for governor, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Others who have been widely mentioned as considering Blaine House runs include Cianbro chairman Peter Vigue, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner John Richardson, state Sen. Peter Mills, Maine House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, Department of Conservation Commissioner Patrick McGowan, business leader Les Otten, U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, and former Speaker of the Maine House Glenn Cummings, among others.
On 12/10/08 at 5:49 AM,
nielloconnor wrote:
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This state needs a good, strong, progressive voice to fight for the interests of common folks.
On 12/10/08 at 6:39 AM,
Inland wrote:
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Buying at local stores is a great idea, however often when I go to the local store they don't have the stuff I'm looking for. Walk into Wally-World or Home Despot and it's all there with no waiting for it to be ordered. I hate that half or more of the stuff is from China, but those people have to eat too. If I wanted to order something I'd just do it on line in the first place, thus saving time and gasoline. Buying locally often involves driving to the store to order something and then driving back to pick it up.
And don't get me started on the farm share stuff. How much kale and zuchinni can one family eat? Maine farms, except for the forward thinking folks at the tomato farm in Madison, can only produce fresh vegetable for part of the year. We still have to import that food the rest of the year and that means supporting whomever grows it wherever they grow it.
Energy is the same thing. We need a reliable full-time energy grid for those times when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine. Solar and wind are swell, but the cannot produce the peak power at the times society wants/needs it. And I doubt that the vast majority or Americans care much for the idea of going backwards 100 years with respect to home comfort.
Being good to the environment is always a good thing, but do it in a sensible way and don't try to force it on people who are not interested. It's the same as religion. Have your beliefs but keep them to yourself. Don't use the force of Government taxation to try to change the way people live.
On 12/10/08 at 6:50 AM,
wrote:
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I will vote for her. With the Ill. gov. being exposed for selling Obama's senate post to the highest bidder ..You have to wonder about ME. Calias has said they don't want natural gas to be shipped through their town. Now ME is pushing it on them. Sears Island is also in danger of being developed.The l ocal tourist trade be damned. First Wind seriously hurt the town of Mars Hill. They did some seriously criminal things as well. Yet the red carpet was thrown out to build again. With laws changed to pave the way. Did DEP get a 5 % across the board raise ? I heard that. Are we the next Ill.?
On 12/10/08 at 6:58 AM,
wrote:
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The locals around Stetson Mt. have been told the wind farm would start up Dec. 5. It did not. Why the secrecy? We have been inundated with the happy side of wind farms and in particular First Wind. Everything tiny thing they did got into the papers. If we can't read about problems then newpapers have been reduced to propaganda. I know across the country said newpapers are in big financial trouble. The truth is interesting. Propaganda is boring.
On 12/10/08 at 9:40 AM,
centralmaine wrote:
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This is insanity.
On 12/10/08 at 9:44 AM,
anne_of_mdi wrote:
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I'm all for impeaching Bush and Cheney. I wish somebody would do it!
On 12/10/08 at 9:58 AM,
vichet wrote:
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Is this story important enough to run as a lead for two days in a row when its probably not important enough, at this time, to run once. The other copy of this story already had 17 posters at this time. Is this the directive from the editorial staff or is it a real slow news day?
On 12/10/08 at 10:56 AM,
wrote:
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I'm not good at nuance. When the democratic and republican lawmakers do not respect the environment...it is time to go green.
On 12/10/08 at 11:47 AM,
Lorrie wrote:
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Inland I'm not sure what your saying, if it's so important for the people in China to eat too why isn't their country providing this instead of our jobs to do that ? On one hand you said you hate it but then ont the other hand you defend it more or less.
What we need is someone who gets paid minimium wage who can balance a check book that isn't going to buckle for wasting money for stupid communist laws. Who isn't exploiting childrens causes and the elderly as their claim to fame.
On 12/15/08 at 12:32 PM,
mountainman wrote:
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It is great to see thet there are lawyers like this that champion the rights of the average citizen. The Wind Turbine expedited process is a travesty in Maine. It is poor public policy. Why we even do business in this state with the likes of "FIRSTWIND" is a disgrace. This company is only interested in their tax breaks to feed their wealthy CEO(he only makes 1.528 million), and hedging investors with tax financing schemes. Citizens and useful power be damned. They only want to milk the state , and sell it to their higher priced markets out of state, AND BACK TO US FOR MORE MONEY!
When you weigh the pluses and minuses of wind onshore in Maine, it is very evident that it is a waste of taxpayor dollar, in many ways. In addition , the underhanded methods used to infiltrate, secretly, rural Maine communities with this stuff is a travesty of civil process. They have had it all planned out for years, then spring it. Thank goodness there are lawyers like her who see what is going on, and will support citizen rights and process!
Its about time...Lynne Wiliams for Governor! (and I am registered Republican).
On 12/18/08 at 9:32 PM,
brendan71488 wrote:
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On Facebook, there is a group supporting Lynne Williams for governor. The group is called "Lynne Williams for governor of Maine in 2010". It has a few links to more articles and other related sites. Please support Lynne and visit or/and join the group. The group page will have a lot more in the up coming weeks.
Thanks,
Brendan
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