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AUGUSTA, Maine — Former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree announced Thursday she will leave her job as head of Gov. Janet Mills’ policy office ahead of a rumored campaign to replace the term-limited governor in 2026.
Pingree’s impending departure from the Democratic governor’s office was well-known among insiders. It is seen as a precursor to a gubernatorial campaign that she has not acknowledged publicly despite being mentioned repeatedly as a top-tier candidate.
She has quietly operated in the State House at the helm of an Office of Innovation and the Future that the Democratic governor rebranded in 2019. Pingree, the daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine’s 1st District, has been one of Mills’ most trusted advisers on a large portfolio of key issues from housing to renewable energy.
A Thursday statement from the governor’s office included a long list of achievements and quotes from advocates in support of Pingree, who is 48 and has been a favorite of environmental groups since her lone term as speaker from 2008 and 2010.
“She and her team … have exceeded my expectations at every step, and I look forward to watching her do great things for Maine in the years to come,” Mills said in a statement.
Pingree addressed her future in the statement only by saying she will “explore new opportunities” and will “remain relentlessly focused on the future of the state we all love.”
