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Maine State Senate District 23
Maine State Senate District 23 is represented by Matthea Daughtry (D).
As of the 2020 Census, Maine state senators represented an average of 38,959 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 38,088 residents.
About the chamber
Members of the Maine State Senate serve two-year terms with term limits.[1] Maine legislators assume office the day before the first Wednesday of December following the general election.[2][3]
Qualifications
Section 6 of Part 2 of Article 4 of the Maine Constitution states, "The Senators shall be 25 years of age at the commencement of the term, for which they are elected, and in all other respects their qualifications shall be the same as those of the Representatives."[4]
Section 4 of Part 1 of Article 4 of the Maine Constitution states, "Qualifications; residency requirement. No person shall be a member of the House of Representatives, unless the person shall, at the commencement of the period for which the person is elected, have been 5 years a citizen of the United States, have arrived at the age of 21 years, have been a resident in this State one year; and for the 3 months next preceding the time of this person's election shall have been, and, during the period for which elected, shall continue to be a resident in the district which that person represents.
No person may be a candidate for election as a member of the House of Representatives unless, at the time of the nomination for placement on a primary, general or special election ballot, that person is a resident in the district which the candidate seeks to represent."[4]
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[5] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $25,000 for the first regular session. $20,000 for the second regular session. | $70/day for lodging (or round-trip mileage up to $0.55/mile in lieu of housing, plus tolls). $50/day for meals. |
Term limits
- See also: State legislatures with term limits
The Maine legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Maine Term Limits Act in 1993. That initiative said that Maine senators are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms, or a total of eight years.
The first year that the term limits enacted in 1993 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 1996.[1]
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Maine State Legislature, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat.[6][7] The governor must call for an election and inform political committees of the nomination deadline.[8][6][7] The person elected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.[9]
See sources: Maine Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A, § 382 Maine Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A, §366 and Maine Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A, § 381
District map
Redistricting
2020 redistricting cycle
On September 29, 2021, Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed legislation enacting redrawn state legislative district boundaries. The Maine Apportionment Commission approved final maps and submitted them to the legislature on September 27, 2021. The Maine Senate unanimously approved both maps by a vote of 31-0. The Maine House of Representatives approved new district boundaries for the state Senate by a vote of 129-0 and new state House district boundaries by a vote of 119-10.[10] These maps took effect for Maine’s 2022 legislative elections.
The Maine Wire reported, "The legislature made no changes to the maps the Apportionment Commission submitted, but some legislators did express dissatisfaction with the way districts had been drawn."[11] Some lawmakers objected to changes made to the composition of their districts, such as Ben Collings (D). After the plans were approved, Collings said, "“I did my best to work with the [apportionment] committee and use the process to make those changes.” “Unfortunately that did not come together for the district I represent.”[10]
How does redistricting in Maine work? In Maine, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. An advisory commission is also involved in the process. A two-thirds majority is required to approve new district maps, which are subject to veto by the governor.[12]
The composition of the 15-member advisory redistricting commission is as follows:[12]
- The majority and minority leaders of the Maine State Senate each select two commissioners.
- The majority and minority leaders of the Maine House of Representatives each appoint three commissioners.
- The chairs of the state's two major political parties (i.e., the Republican and Democratic parties) each appoint one member.
- The aforementioned 12 commissioners appoint two more members from the public, "with each party's representatives coordinating to choose one commissioner."
- The two public commissioners appoint one additional member.
This commission may make recommendations to the state legislature regarding redistricting, but the legislature is not bound to abide by the commission's recommendations. If the state legislature is unable to pass a redistricting plan, the responsibility falls to the Maine Supreme Court.[12]
State statutes require that congressional districts be compact and contiguous, In addition, state laws require that congressional districts "cross political subdivision lines as few times as possible."[12]
The Maine Constitution mandates that state legislative districts be "compact and contiguous, and that they cross political subdivision lines as few times as possible."[12]
Maine State Senate District 23
until December 6, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Maine State Senate District 23
starting December 7, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2024
See also: Maine State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Maine State Senate District 23
Incumbent Matthea Daughtry defeated Michael J. Lawler in the general election for Maine State Senate District 23 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Matthea Daughtry (D) | 69.0 | 18,898 | |
| Michael J. Lawler (R) | 31.0 | 8,489 | ||
| Total votes: 27,387 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic Primary for Maine State Senate District 23
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Matthea Daughtry in round 1 .
| Total votes: 3,064 |
||||
Republican primary election
Republican Primary for Maine State Senate District 23
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Michael J. Lawler in round 1 .
| Total votes: 1,216 |
||||
2022
- See also: Maine State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Maine State Senate District 23
Incumbent Matthea Daughtry defeated Brogan Teel in the general election for Maine State Senate District 23 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Matthea Daughtry (D) | 69.8 | 16,401 | |
| Brogan Teel (R) | 30.2 | 7,108 | ||
| Total votes: 23,509 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic Primary for Maine State Senate District 23
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Matthea Daughtry in round 1 .
| Total votes: 3,785 |
||||
Republican primary election
Republican Primary for Maine State Senate District 23
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Brogan Teel in round 1 .
| Total votes: 1,160 |
||||
2020
- See also: Maine State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Maine State Senate District 23
Incumbent Eloise Vitelli defeated Holly Kopp in the general election for Maine State Senate District 23 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Eloise Vitelli (D) | 55.8 | 13,810 | |
| Holly Kopp (R) | 44.2 | 10,922 | ||
| Total votes: 24,732 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic Primary for Maine State Senate District 23
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Eloise Vitelli in round 1 .
| Total votes: 5,621 |
||||
Republican primary election
Republican Primary for Maine State Senate District 23
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Holly Kopp in round 1 .
| Total votes: 2,237 |
||||
2018
- See also: Maine State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Maine State Senate District 23
Incumbent Eloise Vitelli defeated Richard Donaldson in the general election for Maine State Senate District 23 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Eloise Vitelli (D) | 57.7 | 11,580 | |
| Richard Donaldson (R) | 42.3 | 8,490 | ||
| Total votes: 20,070 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Susan Wasserott (R)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Maine State Senate District 23
Incumbent Eloise Vitelli advanced from the Democratic primary for Maine State Senate District 23 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Eloise Vitelli | 100.0 | 4,334 | |
| Total votes: 4,334 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Maine State Senate District 23
Susan Wasserott advanced from the Republican primary for Maine State Senate District 23 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Susan Wasserott | 100.0 | 2,749 | |
| Total votes: 2,749 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
- See also: Maine State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Maine State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 14, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 15, 2016.[13]
Eloise Vitelli defeated Guy Lebida in the Maine State Senate District 23 general election.[14]
| Maine State Senate, District 23 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | 52.91% | 12,038 | ||
| Republican | Guy Lebida | 47.09% | 10,712 | |
| Total Votes | 22,750 | |||
| Source: Maine Secretary of State | ||||
Eloise Vitelli ran unopposed in the Maine State Senate District 23 Democratic primary.[15][16]
| Maine State Senate, District 23 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | ||
Guy Lebida defeated incumbent Linda Baker in the Maine State Senate District 23 Republican primary.[15][16]
| Maine State Senate, District 23 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | 51.00% | 1,076 | ||
| Republican | Linda Baker Incumbent | 49.00% | 1,034 | |
| Total Votes | 2,110 | |||
2014
- See also: Maine State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Maine State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for party candidates wishing to run in this election was March 17, 2014. The deadline for write-in candidates to run in the primary election was April 28, 2014, and the deadline for non-party candidates to run in the general election was June 2, 2014. District 19 incumbent Eloise Vitelli was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Linda Baker was unopposed in the Republican primary. Baker defeated Vitelli and Alice Knapp (G) in the general election.[17][18][19][20]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 45.3% | 8,916 | ||
| Democratic | Eloise Vitelli Incumbent | 40% | 7,880 | |
| Green | Alice Knapp | 11.4% | 2,243 | |
| None | Blank Votes | 3.3% | 652 | |
| Total Votes | 19,691 | |||
2012
- See also: Maine State Senate elections, 2012
Elections for the office of Maine State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 12, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 15, 2012. Incumbent Michael Thibodeau (R) defeated Glenn Curry (D) in the general election. Neither candidate faced opposition in their primary.[21][22]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 53.6% | 10,747 | ||
| Democratic | Glenn Curry | 46.4% | 9,306 | |
| Total Votes | 20,053 | |||
Campaign contributions
From 2000 to 2024, candidates for Maine State Senate District 23 raised a total of $798,630. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $24,957 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, Maine State Senate District 23 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $18,899 | 2 | $9,449 |
| 2022 | $92,266 | 2 | $46,133 |
| 2020 | $97,841 | 2 | $48,920 |
| 2018 | $91,349 | 3 | $30,450 |
| 2016 | $87,453 | 3 | $29,151 |
| 2014 | $68,183 | 3 | $22,728 |
| 2012 | $33,968 | 2 | $16,984 |
| 2010 | $85,694 | 2 | $42,847 |
| 2008 | $60,566 | 3 | $20,189 |
| 2006 | $46,471 | 2 | $23,236 |
| 2004 | $50,495 | 3 | $16,832 |
| 2002 | $23,582 | 2 | $11,791 |
| 2000 | $41,863 | 3 | $13,954 |
| Total | $798,630 | 32 | $24,957 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 ncsl.org, "Chart of Term Limits States," accessed December 16, 2013 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "limits" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Maine Constitution, "Article IV. Part First., Section 2," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ Maine Constitution, "Article IV. Part Second., Section 5," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Maine State Constitution, "Article IV," accessed May 21, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Maine Legislature, "Maine Revised Statutes," accessed February 11, 2021 (Statute 21A-381)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Maine Legislature, "Maine Revised Statutes," accessed February 11, 2021 (Statute 21A-382)
- ↑ Maine Legislature, "Constitution of the State of Maine," accessed February 11, 2021 (Article IV, Section 5)
- ↑ Maine Legislature, "Maine Revised Statutes," accessed February 11, 2021 (Statute 21A-361)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bangor Daily News, "Thousands of Mainers to shift to new congressional districts," September 29, 2021
- ↑ Maine Wire, "Maine Legislature accepts new redistricting plans, approves legal action on federal lobster rules," September 29, 2021
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 All About Redistricting, "Maine," accessed April 30, 2015
- ↑ Politics1.com, "Maine," archived December 31, 2015
- ↑ Maine Secretary of State, "2016 Election Results," accessed December 20, 2016
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Maine Secretary of State, "List of Candidates who have filed for the June 14, 2016 Primary Election," accessed March 20, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Maine Secretary of State, "Tabulations for Primary Elections held on June 14, 2016," accessed August 11, 2016
- ↑ Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, "List of Primary Candidates," accessed May 8, 2014
- ↑ Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, "List of Non-Party Candidates," accessed June 2, 2014
- ↑ Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, "Primary Election - June 10, 2014," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, "General Election - November 4, 2014," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ "Maine Secretary of State - Official primary results," accessed October 17, 2013
- ↑ "Maine Secretary of State - Official general election results," accessed October 17, 2013