Chellie Pingree
DemocratU.S. Representative, ME-1| Age | 71 (b. 1955-04-02) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2009-01-06 (~17 yrs) |
| Religion | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (Lutheran) |
| Education | Graduated Marshall-University High School, Minneapolis (1971); attended University of Southern Maine; B.A. in human ecology, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine (1979) |
| Prior occupation | Farmer and businesswoman; founded North Island Yarn/North Island Designs knitting cottage industry (1981); author of knitting books; President and CEO of Common Cause (2003-2006) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Languages | English |
| Marital status | Divorced — Formerly married to Charlie Pingree (divorced); married S. Donald Sussman 2011, divorced 2016 |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | North Haven, Maine |
| Notable relatives | Daughter Hannah Pingree, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives and 2026 candidate for Governor of Maine |
Pending research: race / ethnicity · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2008 |
| Previous offices | North Haven Board of Assessors (1981-1987) · North Haven Planning Board (1981-1991) · Maine State Senate (1992-2000) · Maine Senate Majority Leader (1996-2000) |
| Committees | House Committee on Appropriations · Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member) · Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies |
| Caucuses | Congressional Progressive Caucus (vice chair) · Congressional Arts Caucus · Congressional Equality Caucus · Blue Collar Caucus · Medicare for All Caucus · Congressional Ukraine Caucus |
| Leadership | Maine Senate Majority Leader (1996-2000) · Vice Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus |
| Ideology | Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (vice chair); consistently rated as a progressive/liberal Democrat |
| Signature legislation | Maine Rx (as state senator) - first U.S. law regulating prescription drug prices · Land for Maine's Future (as state senator) · York River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2013 · Fair Elections Now Act (co-drafted) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $2,670,000–$11,500,000 (2022) · estimate
| Paloma Partners investment fund | private_equity · 2023 |
| Exchange-traded funds | fund · 2023 |
| U.S. Treasury securities | other · 2023 |
| Real estate | real_estate · 2023 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC fine over private jet flights with then-fiance S. Donald Sussman
In 2010, Pingree, then a candidate, flew aboard a private jet owned by her then-fiance, hedge fund manager S. Donald Sussman. The Maine Republican Party filed a complaint with the FEC in September 2010. After a roughly five-year investigation, the FEC released a conciliation agreement in July 2015 finding the flights were improper in-kind campaign contributions, fining her campaign $9,750 and requiring repayment of more than $13,000.
resolved — FEC Conciliation Agreement — Improper Use of Private Jet (MUR 6394)
The Maine Republican Party filed a complaint in September 2010 after videotaping Rep. Pingree arriving at Portland International Jetport on a corporate jet owned by S. Donald Sussman, her then-fiancé and major campaign donor. The FEC (MUR 6394) found probable cause that two 2010 flights to campaign events constituted impermissible in-kind contributions because Sussman had already given the maximum allowable donation and, under FEC rules (unlike House ethics rules), a fiancé is not classified as a family member. On July 9, 2015, the FEC voted 6-0 to accept a joint conciliation agreement: Pingree for Congress paid a civil penalty of $9,750 and was required to repay more than $13,000 in unreimbursed flight value.