About the Candidate
A carpenter’s daughter from Hancock, Shenna served in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Maine Senate and led the Maine ACLU and the Holocaust & Human Rights Center. She is Maine’s first female secretary.
Education
Ellsworth High School, B.A. from Middlebury College
Previous campaigns and elected office(s) held
Ran for U.S. Senate in 2014 (loss). Was elected to the Maine Senate in 2016, 2018 and 2020. Elected by the Legislature to serve as secretary of state in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
Why are you running?
Our democracy and way of life in Maine are under real threat, and we need a trusted, experienced leader who will do the right thing, even when it’s hard. As secretary, I’ve fought back against Trump and ICE — and won. I’ve been doxed, swatted and threatened, but I have never backed down, and I never will. Having grown up working class, I’ll fight for the working class. I will stand up to Trump to protect our democracy and deliver a bold vision on affordability for a better future for Maine.
Top three priorities
Our rights are under attack, and too many Mainers are just one emergency away from economic disaster. That’s why I propose a New Deal for Maine. Affordability is a crisis and we need to do everything in our power to lower the cost of living by improving access to healthcare, childcare and housing. My top three priorities are: 1.) a stronger, fair economy; 2.) universal healthcare; 3.) investment in quality, public education for every child, paid for by taxing out-of-staters who buy up our homes.
If you could change one thing about how Augusta functions, what would it be and why?
Many state systems are painfully antiquated, making it hard for Mainers to access what they need. I ran for secretary of state on a platform of modernization, and I’m proud of what we’ve delivered: online appointments and automatic voter registration at the BMV, online voter registration and stronger elections. If I can modernize the BMV, I can modernize any state agency. As governor, I’ll streamline services and create a one-stop shop for businesses to make it easier to do business in Maine.
What is one policy area where you disagree with the consensus of most in your party?
We need bold ideas to make state government more efficient, starting with breaking up the Department of Health and Human Services, which is failing Maine’s children. I agree with Republicans that an independent Department of Child and Family Services is long overdue to address systemic, deadly failures in child welfare. I’ll also reform rulemaking and rate setting to improve transparency and accountability. We can do better to take care of our most vulnerable populations, especially children.
What is one issue on which you’d be willing to compromise with the other party’s leaders in Augusta?
The budget. As secretary of state, I secured unanimous budget approval for BMV modernization by working across the aisle. I’ve worked closely with Republicans for years on issues ranging from reproductive rights to privacy to marriage equality. When I led the ACLU, our motto was: “no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, just permanent principles.” That’s how I’ve built winning coalitions throughout my career as head of ACLU and a state senator, and it’s exactly how I’ll lead as governor.