A lawyer from Leeds will serve as the next chair of the Maine Democratic Party.
Charlie Dingman, who focuses on health care at his private practice in Augusta, won Sunday’s leadership election to succeed Bev Uhlenhake after Uhlenhake stepped down for personal and professional reasons following two years as chair. Maine Democrats also elected Imke Schessler-Jandreau, a University of Maine communications professor from Bangor, to succeed Julian Rogers as vice chair, the party said Monday morning in a news release.
Dingman has chaired the party’s finance committee and served on the board of Maine Equal Justice for two decades, with his career also including time as general counsel for the former Maine Health Care Finance Commission. Dingman beat out former state Rep. Raegan LaRochelle of Augusta and Portland City Councilor April Fournier.
Democrats have controlled the Legislature and governor’s office since 2018 but saw Republicans pick up several State House seats in last year’s election. The results highlighted the state’s urban-rural divide, with Democrats no longer holding any seats in Aroostook County and Republicans losing suburban areas to the south.
Maine Democrats saw their two members of Congress, U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, win reelection in November, but Republicans made gains nationally to take back the White House and U.S. Senate.
Dingman comes from the same Androscoggin County town that Golden grew up in and will aim to help the party win back rural areas of Maine. He alluded to President Donald Trump’s return to office in Monday’s news release by saying the president and GOP allies “want to confuse and distract working people by turning us against each other.”
“This is a challenging moment for all of us in the party of Maine’s working people, as our new national regime serves the interests of the very few who are wealthy enough not to do their own work and pursues its agenda without a care for those most vulnerable to their cruelty,” Dingman said in a statement. “I believe Maine Democrats spoke loudly and clearly today that we will counter that toxic agenda with all our strength, reaching out to those in our rural and urban communities alike to reconnect with the disillusioned and expand our mission of fairness and opportunity for everyone.”
The party said Schessler-Jandreau, who is a communications professional along with her role at the University of Maine, will work with Dingman to expand outreach efforts.
“By listening to Mainers who have felt unheard for too long, we will build strong grassroots campaigns that unite all corners of the state,” Schessler-Jandreau said.
