Steve Mistler
Chief Political Correspondent and State House Bureau ChiefJournalist Steve Mistler is Maine Public’s chief politics and government correspondent. He is based at the State House.
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, Gerald Loeb and regional Murrow awards for investigative projects and accountability journalism. He was named the MPA’s Journalist of the Year in 2011 for his coverage of municipal and state government. He later received a Public Service in Radio from the Society of Professional Journalists and a writing award from the Public Radio News Directors for his retrospective of former Gov. Paul LePage.
He joined Maine Public in 2016 after a career in newspaper reporting. He and his family live in Maine.
-
A previously unreported and recently completed audit found that Gateway Community Services overbilled MaineCare by more than $1 million. The state says such suspensions are imposed when there's suspected fraud. -
The bill requires serial numbers on firearms that can be built at home, including those made with 3D printers, yet have the same lethality as traditional guns. -
The Government Oversight Committee had originally been asked to investigate whether two noncitizen drivers involved in pedestrian fatalities had improperly obtained driving credentials. Now the panel wants more information about interpreters who help noncitizens complete their written exams. -
Phillip Rench, of Waterboro, was one of the first candidates to challenge U.S. Republican Sen. Susan Collins, but the independent is bowing out after citing an undisclosed personal development. -
AdImpact, an organization tracking political ads, estimates the Maine Senate contest could help draw more than $300 million in spending on congressional races in the state next year. That’s nearly a third more than the record-smashing amount spent in 2020 when Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins secured her fifth term. -
The Republican's decision to sign the petition for the prospective 2026 referendum is consistent with her past statements on the issue, But it's also a departure from her typical reluctance to weigh in on state-level issues, including ballot initiatives. -
Graham Platner is sharing more about post-combat struggles. Has it made his campaign more resilient?Deleted Reddit posts and tattoo controversies blunted the Democrat's U.S. Senate candidate's surge of early momentum. Now the oyster farmer and military veteran is talking more about his battle with PTSD and reconciling his part in "stupid foreign wars." The people showing up to his town halls are still curious, some even more devoted. -
The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history is over. But with little to show for it, the mostly Democratic politicians who ended the standoff now face intense backlash. -
Wood leaves a Democratic Senate primary dominated by Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner. His decision follows last week's announcement by U.S. Rep. Jared Golden that he won't seek reelection. -
Ben Chin of the Maine People's Alliance will become U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner's new campaign manager. He arrives as the campaign has been beset by staff upheaval.
