Politics
Our political journalists are based in the Maine State House and have deep source networks across the partisan spectrum in communities all over the state. Their coverage aims to cut through major debates and probe how officials make decisions. Read more Politics coverage here.
Progressive lawmakers are using private money to hire a staffer as part of a novel approach that comes out of Democratic tensions that have already shaped the 2026 elections.
The Legislature’s Progressive Caucus, an informal group of House members with a core membership of seven people, posted the job this week after raising $100,000 from an unspecified number of unnamed progressive donors. Rep. Gary Friedmann, D-Bar Harbor, the group’s chair, said the lawmakers and their funders agreed to keep the donors private.
The hire will help the caucus develop policy priorities and build coalitions with advocacy groups, reporting to caucus members. The year’s salary is being routed through the 501(c)(3) arm of the progressive Maine People’s Alliance.
The move follows years of battles between Gov. Janet Mills and progressives, particularly over some of the new role’s focus areas, including tribal sovereignty, tax policy, universal healthcare and childcare and housing. It also comes as Mills, term-limited after ending a flagging U.S. Senate bid against since-replaced progressive Graham Platner, prepares to leave office.
Maine’s 133rd Legislature convenes in January under a new governor. Former House Speaker Hannah Pingree, who won the Democratic primary as a fusion candidate with support from Mills and progressives, is the heavy favorite against Republican Bobby Charles and independent state Sen. Rick Bennett.
Rep. Valli Geiger, D-Rockland, who was a top Platner ally, said the caucus, which formed a year ago, is trying to get an early start on organizing and to combat the lack of “legislative memory” amid heavy turnover from session to session.
Legislative staffers are controlled by party leaders, so individual lawmakers get relatively little bandwidth. Geiger noted that her own aide serves 14 House Democrats, helping with research, testimony and other work, but “the reality is, they have very little time,” she said.
“A lot of the progressive priorities, particularly around economics and services, really needed more attention,” Geiger said. “This helps us very clearly articulate what our values are, what we stand for, and across the lifespan, what Mainers need to have a more secure, healthy life.”
The move raised eyebrows among some Democrats more aligned with Mills. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Pingree’s campaign declined comment. A spokeswoman for House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, referred a reporter to Geiger.
State Rep. Bill Bridgeo, D-Augusta, a longtime city manager who previously taught ethics courses at Thomas College, said that while using private money to fund a caucus staffer is unusual, his ethics “antennae didn’t vibrate” when he heard about the role.
“If they’ve managed to scrape together the money to hire a policy support person, that’s great,” he said. “A couple extra sets of policy eyes and ears can’t hurt.”
Friedmann described the hire as a defensive move against President Donald Trump’s “MAGA agenda,” which he characterized as cruelly “redistributing wealth from the poorest to the richest.” The staffer will work mostly on the outside of the Legislature and won’t write or testify on bills, he said.
“We worked a lot with the Maine Ethics Commission and made very clear from the start this is not a lobbyist,” Geiger said.