Snowe out of Senate race
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) announced last Tuesday that she will not seek re-election in November thereby effectively capping off an illustrious political career.
“After 33 years in the Congress, this was not an easy decision. My husband and I are in good health. We have laid an exceptionally strong foundation for the campaign, and I have no doubt I would have won re-election,” said Snowe in a press release. “It has been an indescribable honor and immeasurable privilege to serve the people of Maine, first in both houses of Maine’s legislature and later in both houses of Congress. To this day, I remain deeply passionate about public service, and I cherish the opportunity I have been given for nearly four decades to help improve the lives of my fellow Mainers.
“As I have long said, what motivates me is producing results for those who have entrusted me to be their voice and their champion, and I am filled with that same sense of responsibility today as I was on my first day in the Maine House of Representatives,” said Snowe. “I do find it frustrating, however, that an atmosphere of polarization and ‘my way or the highway’ ideologies has become pervasive in campaigns and in our governing institutions.”
Calling herself “well prepared for the electoral battle,” the senator said she had to consider how productive an additional term would be.
“Unfortunately, I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term,” Snowe said. “So at this stage of my tenure in public service, I have concluded that I am not prepared to commit myself to an additional six years in the Senate, which is what a fourth term would entail.”
Sharon Campbell, who is the regional representative for Snowe and has worked in the Presque Isle office for nearly 13 years, said she was told by the senator hours before the story broke nationally.
“She had gathered all the staff personally in a room in Washington and then conference called each of us in and had a conversation with all of us at the same time,” said Campbell. “I was surprised to say the least.”
Snowe has had an office in Presque Isle since she was elected to Congress in 1978.
Campbell said she’s optimistic that whomever is elected in November — regardless of their political affiliation — will continue to have a presence in the Star City.
“The continuity will likely continue … much like it did when she took over for George Mitchell. After she was elected, we came in and this is the same furniture that Mitchell’s staff had,” said Campbell. “Previous successors have always maintained a consistent presence in district and state offices and I’m sure that will continue. More than likely there would at least be an office in Aroostook County.”
Campbell said Snowe will continue to serve until her term expires in January 2013.
“She will remain diligent — as will we as staffers — in her duties,” said Campbell. “We are working till the very last day.”
A native of Aroostook County, Campbell said she is personally “committed to the area and the community and will remain here and hopefully be productive somewhere else.”
“I don’t know yet what I’ll do next,” she said, “but I will do something.”
Recognizing that someone will have “huge shoes to fill,” Campbell said Snowe’s legacy is great.
“You look back and ask, ‘Did you ever think that somebody could impact the state like Margaret Chase Smith did or Bill Cohen did or George Mitchell did?’ You wouldn’t think that would be possible, but people came and stepped up and have done exceptional jobs. I will always think that Sen. Snowe did the best of all, but hopefully there will be a great leader that steps up and continues to serve the people of Maine.”
Scott Wardwell, director of the Northern Maine Regional Airport, said Snowe has worked diligently on a variety of issues that have benefited the local airport.
“Sen. Snowe has a senior position on the aviation subcommittee, and that always gave us a voice in Washington. If we saw something happening in legislation that could be detrimental to the airport, we could go to her for assistance,” he said. “She helped us with a number of issues. One of the more recent successes was when the FAA was contemplating adding a lot of additional requirements to the fire coverage at airports, including this one, which would have been very costly and may have even put local air service in jeopardy. We were able to discuss this with her staff and, in the end, that portion of the legislation was not included in the final bill.
“Any member of the delegation that has seniority and is on a committee like the aviation committee, when you lose that, you kind of lose a voice in Washington,” said Wardwell. “I was very sad to hear the news. She’s been a friend to the airport and we appreciate her support over the years.”
For her part, Snowe said she plans to continue to advocate for change.
“As I enter a new chapter, I see a vital need for the political center in order for our democracy to flourish and to find solutions that unite rather than divide us. It is time for change in the way we govern, and I believe there are unique opportunities to build support for that change from outside the United States Senate,” she said. “I intend to help give voice to my fellow citizens who believe, as I do, that we must return to an era of civility in government driven by a common purpose to fulfill the promise that is unique to America.”
