Mattie Daughtry

Last updated
Mattie Daughtry
119th President of the Maine Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 4, 2024
Personal details
Born1987 (age 37–38)
Brunswick, Maine, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Education Smith College (BFA)
Website Official website

Matthea Elisabeth Larsen Daughtry (born March 9, 1987) is an American politician from Maine. She is the President of the Maine Senate. She is a Democrat representing Senate District 23, which serves Brunswick, Chebeague Island, Freeport, Harpswell, Pownal, and part of North Yarmouth. Daughtry served as a representative to the Maine House from District 66 from 2012 to 2016, and District 49 from 2016 to 2020. She has served as a Senator in the Maine Senate since 2020, originally representing District 24.

Contents

As Senate President, she is first in line to become Governor of Maine in the event of a vacancy.

Early life and education

Daughtry was born in Brunswick and raised in a politically active family who involved her in volunteering and voter registration. [1] She remembers an early interest in politics and describes campaigning on Maine Street in Brunswick to be President of the United States when she was six years old. [2] Daughtry's godmother was a state representative when Daughtry was young, and Daughtry worked as a page for her godmother at the State House. [1] [2]

Daughtry attended the Maine Coast Waldorf School [3] and Brunswick High School (BHS), [4] enrolling in classes at Bowdoin College while she was a student at BHS. [2] She continued to Smith College where she majored in Studio Art with a focus in photography and sculpture. [4] [5]

While at Smith, Daughtry worked as a freelance photojournalist at the Times Record in Brunswick and trained with Paul Cunningham. Aspiring to work as an NPR on-air personality, [6] she founded and ran the news department at Smith's student radio station, WOZQ 91.9 FM, and interned in the news department at WFCR in Amherst, Massachusetts. [7] [5] [6] Daughtry also worked for Maine 1st district congressman Tom Allen while she was in college. [7]

After graduating from Smith in 2009, [6] , Daughtry worked as a curator for VSA Arts of Maine [5] [7] and did freelance photography work for Michelle Stapleton. [2] She was doing legislative research and following Maine House races as a communications associate and legislative researcher for the Maine's Majority nonprofit when she first decided to run for office. [4] [7]

Political career

Maine House of Representatives

Daughtry credits her financial difficulties after returning to Maine, and the words of then-governor Paul LePage disparaging young Mainers' financial choices, as a significant motivation for her to run for office. [8] In 2012, when the incumbent state representative for Daughtry's district, Alexander Cornell du Houx, dropped out of the District 66 race following the primary in June, [9] Daughtry decided to run. She won the three-way general election with 45% of the vote, [4] becoming Maine's youngest female legislator at the time. [4]

Daughtry was a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and was the House Chair of the Maine Commission on College Affordability and College Completion. [7] On June 12, 2015, Governor Paul LePage vetoed a bill sponsored by Daughtry, LD 537 "An Act To Prohibit Standardized Testing of Children Before Third Grade", as part of his pledge to veto every bill sponsored by a Democrat until they agreed to the elimination of the Maine state income tax. Two days later, the Maine Senate unanimously overruled Governor LePage's veto. [10]

Maine Senate

Daughtry announced her candidacy for Senate District 24 on January 17, 2020. [11] In July 2020, she defeated Stanley Gerzofsky, who had served the district in both the Maine House and Senate since 2000, in the District 24 Democratic primary with almost 80% of the vote. [12]

In the November general election, Daughtry defeated Republican Brad Pattershall, an attorney, [13] with over 66% of the vote. [14] [15] On February 1, 2021, Maine Senate Democrats elected her to serve as Assistant Senate Majority Leader. [16] She was re-elected to the position in November 2022. [17] In December 2024, Daughtry was unanimously elected President of the Maine Senate. She is the youngest Senate president in Maine history. [18]

Personal life

Daughtry lives in Brunswick with her partner and their coonhound. [13] She co-owns and brews at Moderation Brewing Company in Brunswick, [7] which opened in 2018. [19] [20] Daughtry is also a photographer and writer and owns a media company, Matthea Daughtry Media. [4] [5]

Electoral record

Maine House of Representatives

2012 Maine House District 66 General Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry 2,135 45.7%
Green K. Frederick Horch1,51932.5%
Republican Grant Connors1,01921.8%
Total votes4,673 100.0%
2014 Maine House District 66 Democratic Primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry 100%
Total votes100.0%
2014 Maine House District 49 General Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry 3,144 62.2%
Republican Michael Stevens1,59931.7%
Total votes4,743 100.0%
2016 Maine House District 49 Primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry 100%
Total votes100.0%
2016 Maine House District 49 General Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry 3,981 66.0%
Republican Michael Stevens2,04634.0%
Total votes6,027 100.0%
2018 Maine House District 49 Primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry 1,491 100%
Total votes1,491 100.0%
2018 Maine House District 49 General Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry 3,877 70.9%
Republican Michael Stevens1,59029.1%
Total votes5,467 100.0%

Maine State Senate

2020 Maine Senate District 24 Primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry 6,902 79.6%
Democratic Stan Gerzofsky1,76920.4%
Total votes8,671 100.0%
2020 Maine State Senate District 24 General Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry (incumbent) 18,297 66.2%
Republican Brad Pattershall9,35333.8%
Total votes27,650 100%
2022 Maine Senate District 23 [a] Democratic Primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry (incumbent) 3,785 100%
Total votes3,785 100.0%
2022 Maine State Senate District 23 General Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Matthea Daughtry (incumbent) 16,309 70%
Republican Brogan Teel7,10130%
Total votes23,410 100%

Notes

  1. ↑ Following the 2020 United States census, legislative districts in Maine were re-drawn. Daughtry's district number switched from 24 to 23.

References

  1. 1 2 O'Brien, Bailey (27 December 2017). "Just Run". Maine Women Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Weyrauch, Sam (1 February 2013). "Brunswick Representative Mattie Daughtry is Maine's youngest female legislatorBrunswick Representative Mattie Daughtry is Maine's youngest female legislator". Bowdoin Orient. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Pochurek, Jennifer (28 January 2020). "Alum announces candidacy for Maine state senate district 24". Maine Coast Waldorf School. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McGuire, Peter L. (24 September 2014). "Young Brunswick incumbent faces neophyte challenger in House District 49". Portland Press Herald/The Forecaster. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "About". Matthea Daughtry Media. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Weld, Eric Sean (1 June 2009). "Radio Intern Learns, It's All About the Story". Smith College GrécourtGate News. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mattie Daughtry". Maine Senate Democrats. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "Q&A with alumna and state senator Mattie Daughtry". Maine Coast Waldorf School. 16 November 2020. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Stone, Matthew (29 June 2012). "Embattled Brunswick lawmaker Alex Cornell du Houx withdraws from House race". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Maine House Overrides 8 More Vetoes Issued by Gov. LePage". Maine Public. Associated Press. 15 June 2015. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Laclaire, Hannah (17 January 2020). "'We have work that remains unfinished:' Rep. Mattie Daughtry announces state senate bid". Portland Press Herald/Times Record. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Laclaire, Hannah (14 July 2020). "Mattie Daughtry secures Democratic nomination for Senate District 24". Portland Press Herald/Times Record. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  13. 1 2 Viles, Chance (22 September 2020). "Two square off in Senate 24 race". Portland Press Herald/The Forecaster. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Laclaire, Hannah (4 November 2020). "Daughtry to fill Carson's seat in Senate District 24". Portland Press Herald/Times Record. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "Matthea Daughtry". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "Maine Senate Democrats elect new Senate Majority leader". WABI. 1 February 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  17. ↑ Billings, Randy (11 November 2022). "Republicans in Maine Legislature shake up leadership after disappointing election". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  18. ↑ Cover, Susan (December 4, 2024). "Fecteau, Daughtry chosen to lead Maine House and Senate". Spectrum News. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  19. ↑ Swinconeck, John (28 February 2018). "Moderation Brewing Company". Portland Press Herald/Times Record. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  20. ↑ Clemente, Elizabeth (8 March 2018). "Brunswick's first downtown brewery gives nod to prohibition". Portland Press Herald/The Forecaster. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
Political offices
Preceded by President of the Maine Senate
2024–present		Incumbent
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