Diane Russell
Member of the Maine House of Representatives for the 120th District
In office
December 3, 2008 – December 2016
Preceded byAnne Rand
Succeeded byMichael Sylvester
Personal details
Born (1976-08-09) August 9, 1976
Bryant Pond, Maine, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
ResidencePortland, Maine
Alma materUniversity of Southern Maine
ProfessionPublic relations consultant

Diane Marie Russell (born August 9, 1976) is an American politician who served in the Maine House of Representatives. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Political career

When Russell first ran for the State House in 2008, she was working as a cashier at a local convenience store.[1] She served on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee and the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.[2][3]

In 2011, The Nation magazine named her "Most Valuable State Representative" on its annual Progressive Honor Roll.[4]

In 2011, Russell introduced a bill to legalize marijuana in Maine. The bill, LD 1453, was voted down in committee (3-8) in March[5] and down by the House of Representatives in June.[6] After being re-elected in 2012, Russell introduced a similar bill to legalize marijuana in 2013. It was co-sponsored by Republican Rep. Aaron Libby.[7][8]

In November 2012, Russell unsuccessfully sought the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives position, losing in a Democratic Party caucus vote to Mark Eves of York County.[9]

In 2016, Russell, who was barred by Maine's term limits law from running again for a House seat, ran for a seat in the Maine Senate, and lost in the Democratic primary election, coming in third among the three candidates.[10]

On August 10, 2017, Russell announced her campaign for Governor of Maine in the 2018 race.[11] She finished sixth of seven candidates on the ballot with 2.2%.

Personal life

Russell is a native of Woodstock, Maine, and is a graduate of Leavitt Area High School.[12] She received a B.A. in media studies from the University of Southern Maine.[12] She has also worked as a public relations consultant.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "From Behind the Counter: A Different View of the 47%". huffingtonpost.com. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "Representative Diane Marie Russell's Biography". votesmart.org. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "Diane Russell". maine.gov. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "The Progressive Honor Roll of 2011". thenation.com. 2011-12-22. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  5. ↑ Haskell, Meg (March 14, 2011). "Lawmakers vote down marijuana legalization but ease access to medical pot". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Miller, Kevin (June 14, 2011). "House votes against fully legalizing pot". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  7. ↑ Cousins, Christopher (February 21, 2013). "Democratic and Republican legislators unite on bill to legalize and tax marijuana". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  8. ↑ Byrne, Matt; Hoey, Dennis (2012-11-14). "Maine lawmaker seeks to legalize marijuana". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  9. ↑ Carkhuff, David (November 14, 2012). "Russell vies for Speaker of the House post; Alfond tapped in Senate". Portland Daily Sun. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "Ben Chipman wins hard-fought Democratic Senate primary in Portland". Portland Press Herald. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  11. ↑ Cousins, Christopher; Staff, B. D. N. "Former state representative launches Democratic bid for Maine governor". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  12. 1 2 3 "Diane Russell". emergemaine.org. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
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