Steve Mistler

Chief Political Correspondent and State House Bureau Chief
  • Maine Public

Steve has been a journalist for nearly two decades, specializing in the coverage of politics and state government. His work has been recognized by the Maine Press Association and the New England Newspaper and Press Association for investigative projects and accountability journalism. He was named the MPA’s Journalist of the Year in 2011 for his coverage of municipal government for The Forecaster in Falmouth and, later, for his coverage of state government for the Sun Journal in Lewiston.

Steve became the state house bureau chief for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram in 2012. After four years with Maine’s largest daily newspaper, Steve made the leap to radio journalism, joining Maine Public in May 2016.

Steve is married with one child and has two crazy dogs. His family lives in Brunswick.

Ways to Connect

Data: Maine PPP Recipients Include High-Powered Law Firms, Businesses With Ties To Lawmakers

By • 2 hours ago
Kevin Bennett / For Maine Public

A federal program designed to prevent layoffs and support small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic has provided $2.2 billion to more than 27,000 Maine companies, according to newly released loan data.

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden Wants To Shed Some Light On Dark Election Money

By • 2 hours ago
J. Scott Applewhite / AP File

Two years ago, the race for Maine's 2nd Congressional District seat generated millions of dollars in spending to influence voters. The source of a good chunk of that money was secret, thanks in part to loopholes in federal election law that are routinely exploited by both conservative and liberal groups. Now, the winner of that election, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, wants to close those loopholes.

WATCH: Democrats Vying For U.S. Senate Nomination Face Off In Maine Public Debate

By • Jul 6, 2020
Campaign website photos

Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, the presumed frontrunner in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, used Monday’s Maine Public debate to tout her policy goals if she’s able to knock off incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in November.

Maine Lawmakers Discuss Criminal Justice Reform During Rare Off-Session Hearing

By • Jun 25, 2020
Caitlin Troutman / Maine Public

Spurred by the death of George Floyd and nationwide demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality, Maine lawmakers Wednesday held a rare off-session hearing to plot reforms to the state's criminal justice system.

Maine Lawmakers Probe Racial Profiling, Privacy Concerns Raised About Information Gathering Agency

By • Jun 24, 2020

State lawmakers reviewing police use of force and racial bias Wednesday trained their focus on the Maine Information and Analysis Center.

Maine Congressional Delegation Reacts To Trump Administration's Firing of Geoffrey Berman

By • Jun 23, 2020
Mark Lennihan / AP Images

President Donald Trump's decision this weekend to remove a prominent prosecutor whose office is investigating the president's business associates has sparked an outcry from some members of Congress and former U.S. district attorneys.

Maine GOP Submits Petition Signatures To Block Ranked-Choice Voting For Presidential Elections

By • Jun 15, 2020
Robert F. Bukaty / AP Photo

The Maine Republican Party on Monday submitted more than 68,000 petition signatures to overturn a new law that expands ranked-choice voting to presidential elections.

Maine Reports 54 New Cases Of COVID-19; Death Toll Remains At 100

By & • Jun 12, 2020
Robert F. Bukaty / Associated Press

The Maine Center for Disease Control is reporting its biggest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases since late May.

Trump Visits Rural Maine Swab Manufacturer Amid Swarm Of Supporters, Protesters

By • Jun 5, 2020
Rebecca Conley / Maine Public

President Donald Trump on Friday returned to Maine for a visit designed to reaffirm his appeal with rural voters and to reframe his heavily criticized response to a coronavirus pandemic that threatens his bid for a second term.

As Trump Heads To Maine, GOP Sen. Susan Collins Won't Be There To Greet Him

By • Jun 5, 2020

President Trump will visit one of Maine's least populous towns and its most conservative county when he tours a factory producing medical swabs for coronavirus testing on Friday.

Conspicuously absent during the trip will be the state's only Republican member of Congress, Sen. Susan Collins.

Collins, who faces a tough reelection fight to secure her fifth consecutive term, will remain in Washington, D.C., when the president travels to Puritan Medical Products in Guilford, Maine.

For The First Time, Maine Releases COVID-19 Data By Zip Code

By • Jun 4, 2020
Robert F. Bukaty / Associated Press

The Maine Center for Disease Control has released COVID-19 case data by zip code for the first time since the outbreak began in March, making it the last state in New England to do so.

Mills Clashes With Trump Over His Call To 'Dominate' Protestors And His Plans To Visit Maine

By • Jun 2, 2020
Nick Woodward / Maine Public

Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Monday told President Donald Trump that his planned visit to a factory in Guilford later this week could provoke additional unrest and become a security concern for the state.

Employees At MEMA Facility Test Negative For COVID-19

By • May 29, 2020
Nick Woodward / Maine Public

All seven workers at the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) who had exhibited COVID-19 symptoms Thursday have tested negative for the disease.

CDC Reports Another Death, 37 More Cases Of COVID-19 In Maine

By • May 29, 2020
Caitlin Troutman / Maine Public

The Maine Center for Disease Control is reporting 37 new cases of COVID-19 and another death, a woman in her 80s from Cumberland County. This total number of people associated with COVID-19 who have died is 85.

Maine CDC Moves To Virtual Daily Briefing After 7 Workers Exhibit COVID-19 Symptoms

By • May 28, 2020
Nick Woodward / Maine Public

On a day when the Maine Center for Disease Control is reporting 52 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths, state officials were forced to deal with the possibility that the virus has infected part of its response team.

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