Pingree Joins Brennan, Strimling in Congress Race

Former State Representative and US Senate candidate Chellie Pingree said on January 30th that she would be leaving her position as head of Common Cause to explore whether to seek election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 1st District.

Pingree joins former State Senator Michael Brennan, who announced in January that he was forming an exploratory committee to look at running for the office.

State Senator Ethan Strimling has not yet made an official announcement, but his organization is in place for the race and began meeting in mid-November, just a week after his re-election to the Maine State Senate. Other possible Democratic Party candidates include Portland City Councilor Jill Duson, and former Maine Senate President Mark Lawrence, who ran against Senator Olympia Snowe in 2000.

Congressman Tom Allen, who currently holds the seat, has not said that he will not run for re-election, but has said that he is seriously considering a run for the US Senate seat held by Senator Susan Collins.