Amid rumors of gubernatorial bid, Hannah Pingree to leave Mills administration
Hannah Pingree, who has led efforts on climate and housing policy for the state, will leave her position Friday.
'I'm so grateful to Governor Mills for the tremendous opportunity she gave me to dive into Maine's biggest challenges and lead work across her administration to chart a path to solutions,' Pingree said in a news release from the governor's office Thursday.
Though the release didn't specify what Pingree plans to do next, she said she will 'remain relentlessly focused on the future of the state we all love.' The Bangor Daily News has reported that Pingree is expected to throw her hat in the ring for the Democratic gubernatorial primary next year.
Prior to her time in the executive branch, Pingree served four terms in the Maine Legislature including two years as speaker of the state House of Representatives. She is also the daughter of Maine's 1st Congressional District representative.
Pingree has served as director of the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, also known as GOPIF, since 2019. The agency was created by Gov. Janet Mills to recommend policy solutions for some of the state's biggest issues and focuses on climate change, housing, workforce development, the opioid crisis and more.
Mills said in the release that she asked Pingree to lead the office because she knew she had the ability to bring people together and develop innovative solutions based on her background in local and state government.
Under Pingree's leadership, GOPIF helped advance legislation that created the Maine Climate Council to support the state in meeting its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals while investing in local infrastructure. Pingree served as co-chair of the council, which also created the state's climate action plan that outlines strategies for electrifying transportation and home heating, among other initiatives.
Pingree's office has worked to expand housing options in the state amid a shortage of thousands of units. The agency designed programs such as the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program and the Affordable Homeownership Program, which have helped create hundreds of new single-family homes and rental units.
'She and her team at GOPIF have exceeded my expectations at every step, and I look forward to watching her do great things for Maine in the years to come,' Mills said of Pingree.
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