Mother and daughter legislators discuss 'Common Cause'
Chelsey Ledue
Issue date: 11/13/03 Section: News
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Chellie Pingree is now president and CEO of Common Cause, a nonprofit citizens' lobbying group. She works on issues across the country, and spends a great amount of time in Washington.
Once asked how she could stand being in Washington, Chellie Pingree said, "I hurry back to Maine as fast as I can."
The founder of Common Cause passed away last year, so Chellie Pingree didn't get the chance to meet him. Members of the 32-year-old organization presently work to ensure that all citizens have access to affordable prescription drugs, question how money is being spent in Iraq, and challenge the Federal Communications Commission's decision to slacken ownership rules for media companies.
"It's a really good time to be one of the good guys when the bad guys are so bad," Chellie Pingree said.
Hannah Pingree, who now occupies her mother's former house seat, grew up and attended school on the island of North Haven.
"By the time I was a senior in high school, we called the island 'The Rock,' and we could not wait to get off the rock," Hannah Pingree said.
She graduated with a class of five people, all girls. The junior class that year was also five people, all boys.
When Hannah was 16, her mother took her to Portland to see a well-known congresswoman discuss encouraging more women to get involved in politics. Chellie Pingree was asked to run for the state senate and the mother and daughter discussed it on the way home from the conference. Chellie Pingree wasn't sure about it at first, because she had a business to run and three teenagers at home, she said. Hannah told her mother to go for it and a short while later Chellie Pingree was knocking on residents' doors for her campaign.
"It was really exciting, and as a 16-year-old, starting to get into these politics, it was inspiring." said Hannah Pingree. "No one thought she would win the race."
Chellie Pingree won with a majority vote over her opponent, John Jack McCormic.
Hannah Pingree graduated from high school, attended college in Rhode Island and moved to New York City. She said she thought she could get away from the Island, but a few years later she received a call from her mother saying she was thinking about running for office again. Hannah moved back to Maine to help her mother's campaign.
In February of that year, Hannah received another call, but this time it was to ask if she would run for her mother's seat that would soon be open. Hannah said she had a lot of the same reactions that her mother had at first, and thought she was too young.
"I had no choice but to run," Hannah Pingree said.
She finally gave in and started to knock on doors again, only for herself this time.
"Knocking on doors is a majority of the campaign ... I tried to cut off the time I spent with people in their homes at about an hour," she said. "Some people would have wanted me to stay for two or three."
Six ferry rides were needed to get Hannah Pingree to all 12 of the towns she represents; all but two are islands.
Hannah Pingree only saw her opponent twice during her campaign, once while she pumped gas as he drove by, and the other at a debate in the basement of the Vinal Haven Church.
Hannah Pingree won with 63 percent of the vote, and is now a first-term legislator representing District 129.
Hannah Pingree spoke about what she has learned in her few years in the house.
"To be young isn't necessarily a bad thing" Hannah said.
She is currently the senior member of the four representatives under 30 years old. Hannah is now 27 and was 25 when she was asked to run.
Hannah Pingree also discussed issues in the house that are important to her, especially keeping young people in Maine.
Maine has the highest high school graduation rate, but the lowest college graduation rate. Hannah represents two islands that have one-room schoolhouses, with only one teacher to each. The teachers spend more time filling out paperwork to send to the government than they spend correcting papers, Hannah Pingree said.
Hannah Pingree said she also wants to work on getting more young people and women involved in politics. When she visits schools and universities she said she hopes people will think, 'Well, if you are doing it, then maybe I should run for office... Maybe I should get involved in the school board'."
Hannah Pingree said her experience in the house, while at times challenging, have been rewarding.
"The Legislature is very fast-paced and very exciting," she said. "There can be a few nasty fights, but people generally just want to figure out how to get something done. For the most part, when it comes to some issues, sometimes we have entirely different ideas, but in general, for me, it has been very positive."