A state lawmaker from York County said Monday that may challenge 1st District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree in next year's Democratic primary.
Rep. Tiffany Roberts, D-South Berwick, announced the formation of an exploratory committee to help her decide whether to enter the primary. Roberts, who has represented parts of her hometown and North Berwick in the Maine House for seven years, did not criticize or even name Pingree in her announcement on Monday but said she wants to hear if Democratic voters want another option next June.
In an interview, Roberts described herself as more of a centrist who is willing to work across the aisle.
"I do say I bring a different voice," Roberts said. "And I just think that the semi-open primary will, in theory, play a part in that to see whether that is something that folks are looking for . . . It's just a matter of different approaches."
Pingree, who lives on North Haven, was first elected in 2008 and has never faced a primary challenger during her subsequent campaigns. She is the top-ranking Democrat on several subcommittee on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which along with its Senate counterpart decides to divvy up much of the federal budget.
Last year, Pingree received roughly 59% of the vote in a three-way race with a Republican and an independent. The progressive has won her previous elections by similar or larger margins — a fact that reflects the district's increasingly leftward lean in recent decades. But away from the immediate coast and larger communities, the 1st District has many communities that consistently send Republicans or moderate Democrats to the Maine House and Senate.
Roberts, who co-chairs the Legislature's Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, said she shares many voters' frustrations that the two parties in Washington don't seem to work together to address problems.
"I’m exploring this race because we have become a country that is stuck in gridlock, while Mainers are left waiting," she said in a statement. "We deserve a representative who delivers, not just talks about change. We deserve leadership rooted in accessibility, accountability, and results.”
Roberts runs her own digital marketing business. She is prohibited from seeking reelection to the Maine House because of term limits.
