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 49 from 2012 to 2020.
Mattie Daughtry | |
|---|---|
| President of the Maine Senate | |
| Assumed office December 4, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Troy Jackson |
| Member of the Maine Senate | |
| Assumed office December 7, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Eloise Vitelli |
| Constituency | 23rd district |
| In office December 2, 2020 – December 7, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Brownie Carson |
| Succeeded by | Eloise Vitelli |
| Constituency | 24th district |
| Member of the Maine House of Representatives from the 66th and 49th district | |
| In office December 2012 – December 2, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Cornell du Houx |
| Succeeded by | Poppy Arford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1987 (age 36–37) Brunswick, Maine, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Smith College (BFA) |
| Website | Official website |
Early life and education
editDaughtry 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
editMaine House of Representatives
editDaughtry 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
editDaughtry 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 attorney Brad Pattershall[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
editDaughtry 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
editMaine House of Representatives
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry | 2,135 | 45.7% | |
| Green | K. Frederick Horch | 1,519 | 32.5% | |
| Republican | Grant Connors | 1,019 | 21.8% | |
| Total votes | 4,673 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry | 100% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry | 3,144 | 62.2% | |
| Republican | Michael Stevens | 1,599 | 31.7% | |
| Total votes | 4,743 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry | 100% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry | 3,981 | 66.0% | |
| Republican | Michael Stevens | 2,046 | 34.0% | |
| Total votes | 6,027 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry | 1,491 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 1,491 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry | 3,877 | 70.9% | |
| Republican | Michael Stevens | 1,590 | 29.1% | |
| Total votes | 5,467 | 100.0% | ||
Maine State Senate
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry | 6,902 | 79.6% | |
| Democratic | Stan Gerzofsky | 1,769 | 20.4% | |
| Total votes | 8,671 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry (incumbent) | 18,297 | 66.2% | |
| Republican | Brad Pattershall | 9,353 | 33.8% | |
| Total votes | 27,650 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry (incumbent) | 3,785 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 3,785 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matthea Daughtry (incumbent) | 16,309 | 70% | |
| Republican | Brogan Teel | 7,101 | 30% | |
| Total votes | 23,410 | 100% | ||
Notes
edit- ^ Following the 2020 United States census, legislative districts in Maine were re-drawn. Daughtry's district number switched from 24 to 23.
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ a b O'Brien, Bailey (27 December 2017). "Just Run". Maine Women Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d e f 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.
- ^ a b c d "About". Matthea Daughtry Media. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mattie Daughtry". Maine Senate Democrats. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Matthea Daughtry". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
- ^ "Maine Senate Democrats elect new Senate Majority leader". WABI. 1 February 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Cover, Susan (December 4, 2024). "Fecteau, Daughtry chosen to lead Maine House and Senate". Spectrum News. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.