Maine Democrats choose new party leaders
Jan. 27—Democrats have chosen a lawyer from Central Maine to lead the state party for the next two years — an election cycle that will include statewide races for governor and U.S. Senate.
The party announced Monday that Charlie Dingman of Leeds was elected as chair and Imke Schlesser-Jandreau of Bangor was elected as vice chair. Both candidates hail from the more rural, conservative 2nd Congressional District, whose voters will be key to winning statewide offices in two years.
Dingman, a lawyer who has served on the board for Maine Equal Justice, which advocates for low income residents and families, and served on committees for the party and the Justice Action Group, which supports legal aid providers and social justice groups, is planning to focus on unifying the party and reaching voters across the state ahead of the 2026 cycle.
"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 written statement.
"They want to confuse and distract working people by turning us against each other. 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."
Schlesser-Jandreau is a communications professional, who said in a written statement that Democrats have "an incredible opportunity to rebrand the party, lean into our values, and bring people together."
Party officials did not immediately respond to questions about how many other candidates ran for party chair.
Maine Democrats cut against national trends last November, maintaining their majorities in both the state Senate and House of Representatives, albeit by smaller margins, for Democratic Gov. Janet Mills' final two years in office.
Democrats have held the governor's office and both chamber of the Legislature since 2019.
With Mills termed out of office, the 2026 gubernatorial race is expected to be a wide-open race.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins says she's planning on seeking reelection. No challengers have emerged, though Mills did not rule out running when asked by the Press Herald in December.
Dingman and Schlesser-Jandreau replace outgoing Chair Bev Uhlenhake and Vice Chair Julian Rogers, who did not seek another term.
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