An assistant U.S. attorney in Portland has cleared another step towards becoming Maine’s top federal prosecutor.
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination of Darcie McElwee as the U.S. Attorney for Maine.
McElwee, 48, is a Caribou native and has been a federal prosecutor since 2002.
McElwee was nominated for the position in August by President Joe Biden. She will replace Halsey Frank, 62, of Portland who resigned in February after working in the office for more than two decades.
McElwee graduated from Bowdoin College in 1995 and from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998. From 1998 until 2002, she worked as an assistant district attorney in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.
“As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Darcie has worked tirelessly to keep Mainers safe from violent crime and achieve justice for victims,” Senator Susan Collins said in a statement on Monday.
“Her nearly two decades of experience as a career prosecutor make her extremely well qualified to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine,” Collins said. “I am pleased that Darcie received bipartisan support in committee, and I will work with my colleagues to advance her nomination to fill this important position so that she can continue her distinguished service to our state and our country.”
“Darcie McElwee is a lifelong Mainer, a dedicated public servant, and a talented legal mind. She has all the tools required to be an exemplary U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine,” Sen. Angus King and Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden said in a joint statement Monday afternoon.
McElwee’s nomination must be finalized by the U.S. Senate.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the date on which the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved Darcie McElwee’s nomination.