Elizabeth “Libby” Mitchell
Maine state legislator and attorney, has made history in the state legislature three times. In 1980 she was elected the first woman House Majority Leader; in 1996, the first woman Speaker of the House; and in 2006 Senate Majority Leader, only the third woman to serve in that position, preceded by Nancy Randall Clark in 1987 and Chellie Pingree in 1997.
“Libby” Mitchell was born in South Carolina, but her hometown is Vassalboro. She attended Furman University for her B.A.; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for her M.A.; and the University of Maine School of Law for her JD.
Mitchell has served in the Maine legislature during three decades, completing five terms in the Maine House of Representatives from 1974-1984 and 1991-1998. She was elected to the Maine Senate in 2004, and served as its president from 2008 to 2010. She was an unsuccessful Democratic Party candidate for governor in 2010.
She has been a strong supporter of education. She was member of the Advisory Council of Kennebec Valley Community College and represented Maine on the New England Board of Higher Education. As a legislator, she was especially interested in tax reform, health care issues, and most of all, providing opportunity to all people. As she once said in an interview “opportunity is everything.”
Mitchell has been interested in promoting Maine’s economy. She supported funding for redevelopment projects designed to bring jobs to Maine, such as the Kennebec Arsenal project and Oakland First Park. She has been known as a leader of women’s rights. Her legislation created a District Court Family Division and Women’s Recognition Week within Maine school systems. She has been an active member of the Maine Women’s Lobby.
In addition to her work in the legislature, Mitchell has also been active in her community. She served as a selectwoman for the town of Vassalboro and was director of the Maine State Housing authority from 1986 to 1990. She has served on the board of Maine General Health and Jobs for Maine’s Graduates and has been a member of the Maine Homeless Coalition.
In 2000 she was the Democratic Party candidate for governor, losing to Paul LePage the Republican candidate. Mitchell came in third with 18.8% of the vote, after LePage (37.6 and independent Eliot Cutler (35.9%).
She is married to Jim Mitchell, a Judge of Probate of Kennebec County. Among their four children are J. Elizabeth Mitchell, who served two terms from Portland in the Maine House, and Charles E. Mitchell who also served two terms in the Maine House.
Additional resources
“Senator Libby Mitchell” from the Democratic Senators site at http://www.mainesenate.org/mitchell/bio.htm.
Mitchell, Elizabeth. et al. Consumer Protection and Quality Oversight in Managed Care: How are States Meeting the Challenge. Portland, Me. National Academy for State Health Policy. c1998. [Maine State Law and Legislative. Reference Library.]
Mitchell, Elizabeth. et al. A Policymaker’s Guide to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Portland, Me. National Academy for State Health Policy, c1998. [Maine State Law and Legislative. Reference Library.]
Contributed by Jannene Bidwell, Lisbon Falls, Maine, 2008. Edited to reflect updates since 2008.