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Heather B. Sanborn is an American politician and attorney currently representing District 28 (portions of the cities of Portland and Westbrook) in the Maine State Senate. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life and education

Sanborn grew up in Portland[1] and attended Middlebury College where she graduated summa cum laude as the salutatorian of her class in 1997.[2] She received a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Maine in 2004[2] and taught high school in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.[1]

Sanborn graduated from the University of Maine School of Law in 2007 where she was the editor-in-chief of the Maine Law Review. [1] She worked as a law clerk to Kermit Lipez on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and as an associate in the litigation department at Ropes & Gray.[1] She has served on the boards of the Portland Development Corporation [3] and University Credit Union.[4]

Brewery & beer industry advocacy

Rising Tide Brewery

Sanborn and her husband, Nathan Sanborn, co-own Rising Tide Brewery in Portland, Maine, and Heather serves as the director of business operations.[5] The brewery opened in 2010 and quickly outgrew its initial space, relocating in 2012.[6] As of 2020, Rising Tide employs 29 people and produces 4,500 barrels of beer per year.[7] Sanborn has served as the President of the Maine Brewers' Guild and has drawn on her law background to advocate for breweries around Maine.[1][5]

2012 tasting room law

Sanborn has drawn on her legal background to advocate for state-level policy changes that benefit Maine's craft beer industry.[8] In collaboration with the Maine Brewer's Guild, she submitted a bill to the 125th Maine Legislature that would permit breweries to sell their products on-site. At the time, breweries in Maine were only permitted to give away small samples of their products,[9] a business model which Sanborn and other industry leaders argued was not conducive to customer interaction and beer tourism.[10] The bill, LD #1889, was signed into law in April 2012.[10]

Political career

Sanborn ran unopposed for the 2016 Maine House of Representatives District 43 Democratic primary, and defeated Republican opponent Jeffrey Langholtz 65%-35% in the general election.[11]

In June 2018, Sanborn won a contested primary against Portland City Councilor Jill Duson.[12]

Sanborn ran unopposed in both the Democratic primary and in the general election in 2020 and was therefore elected to her second term representing District 28 in the Maine Senate.[11]

Personal life

Sanborn co-owns and operates Rising Tide Brewery in Portland with her husband.

Electoral record

Maine State House

2016 Maine House District 28 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heather Sanborn 3,632 65.0%
Republican Jeffrey Langholtz 1,957 35.0%
Total votes 5,589 100.0%
Democratic hold

Maine State Senate

2018 Maine Senate District 28 Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heather Sanborn 3.093 58.6%
Democratic Jill Duson 2,188 41.4%
Total votes 5,281 100.0%
2018 Maine Senate District 28 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heather Sanborn 15,940 81.0%
Independent Write-in candidates 3,729 19.0%
Total votes 24,796 100.0%
Democratic hold
2020 Maine Senate District 25 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heather Sanborn 20,173 100.0%
Total votes 20,173 100.0%
Democratic hold

[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Heather Sanborn '07, summa cum laude". University of Maine School of Law. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Ms. Heather B. Sanborn". Martindale. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Heather Sanborn". Maine Senate Democrats. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  4. ^ "League endorsed candidate wins primary race". Maine Credit Union League. 14 June 2018. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  5. ^ a b Martin, Dylan (10 August 2015). "Women to Watch: Heather Sanborn, Rising Tide Brewing". Mainebiz. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Rising Tide Brewing Company". U.S. Small Business Administration. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Our Story". risingtidebrewing.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Lawyer turned brewer helps Maine's alcohol laws evolve". News Center Maine. 21 May 2014. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Maine on Tap: The Beer Boom". WGME. 2 June 2018. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  10. ^ a b Lauter, Carla Jean (13 April 2018). "Happy birthday to the bill that changed Maine's beer industry". Maine Today. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "Heather Sanborn". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  12. ^ Graham, Gillian (June 12, 2018). "Portland Rep. Sanborn wins Democratic primary for state senate". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
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