Rep. Anne Carney will run for a state Senate seat that includes part of Scarborough. Courtesy photo/ Claudia Dricot
Representative Anne Carney officially launched her campaign to represent South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, and part of Scarborough (Senate District 29) in the Maine Senate. On Nov. 2, a crowd of 90 gathered at the Liberty Ship Memorial in South Portland’s Bug Light Park. Carney chose the site because it commemorates the contributions Mainers made to the victory in WWII and the sacrifices many individuals made for the common good.
“The challenges Maine faces today are different and bring their own sense of urgency: climate change; affordable health care; and jobs, housing and education that will make it possible for Mainers to live, work and stay in Maine during retirement,” Carney told the enthusiastic crowd. This place “inspires me to keep fighting for our people and our planet and reassures me that by working together we can overcome the challenges we face today,” Carney said of the memorial.
Underscoring the urgency of her current work in the Legislature on bills to mitigate climate change, improve health care and support the workforce, Carney spoke to the importance of bipartisanship: “We can only meet these challenges by working together.”
Speakers at the event included Rep. Victoria Morales, serving House District 33; Hal Kingsbury, a South Portland science teacher; Penny Jordan, a Cape Elizabeth farmer and South Portland business owner; and Tom Blake, a community leader and former South Portland city councilor. Each spoke about Carney’s legislative achievements, dedication to serving all Mainers, and her leadership experience.
Blake, holding his young grandson in his arms, focused on his appreciation for Carney’s proven ability to get things done. “As I have four children and 15 grandchildren, my priorities in life revolve around protecting a fragile environment for their future. It comforts me to know that Anne shares these same priorities. Her accomplishments in her short time in the Legislature are proof of her interest and her abilities to solve these issues in a legislative setting.”
Rep. Morales praised Carney’s leadership qualities and legislative achievements reflecting their shared values. Kingsbury spoke about her dedication to the education and nurturing of Maine’s youth. Jordan spoke about Carney’s statewide focus on critical issues, “We need to address income, healthcare and jobs.”
Carney currently serves in the Maine Legislature, representing House District 30, Cape Elizabeth. Her legislative initiatives this year protected pregnant workers, fixed inconsistencies in foreclosure law and banned foam food containers.
Two bills, providing affordable health care to children and protecting vulnerable persons from financial exploitation, await funding. Carney’s bill to provide Maine women MaineCare coverage for postpartum care, has been accepted for the 2020 legislative session.
Carney serves on the Joint Committee on Labor and Housing and is a member of the Children’s Caucus, the Caucus on Aging and the Coastal and Climate Action Caucus.
A resident of Cape Elizabeth for 30 years, Carney is running as a Democrat for a seat that will be open in November 2020, when Sen. Rebecca Millett’s term-limited service is completed. As an attorney, Carney practiced employment, civil rights and municipal law for 17 years, representing businesses, individuals, cities and towns throughout Maine. In 2016, she received the Pine Tree Legal Assistance Award for Pro Bono Services for eight years of volunteer work representing low-income Mainers on employment-related issues.
An active community volunteer, Carney enjoys her volunteer work with the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust, where she served on the board of directors from 2010 to 2018, including three years as board president, and during which she led the organization to national accreditation.
Carney earned a J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law, a Master of Theological Studies degree from Harvard University and a B.A. from Haverford College. Anne and her husband David Wennberg have three adult children. They enjoy cooking for family and friends, bicycling, and long walks with their dogs Shadow and Moxie.
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