Alexander Reginald Willette (born April 2, 1989) is an American politician from

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

. In 2010, the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Willette was elected to represent District 7 in the Maine House of Representatives, covering much of central Aroostook County including part of the city of Presque Isle. He served as the Assistant Republican Leader, and, during his time in the Legislature, was both the youngest member of legislative leadership in Maine's history and the youngest in the United States.

Early life and education

He was born in

Presque Isle, Maine Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,797 at the 2020 Census. The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, Hus ...

and lives Mapleton, Maine. A graduate of

Presque Isle High School Presque Isle High School is a secondary school for students located in Presque Isle, Maine, United States. Associated with Maine School Administrative District No. 1 (MSAD1), the school serves the communities of Castle Hill, Chapman, Mapl ...

, Willette earned a B.A. in political science from the

University of Maine at Farmington The University of Maine at Farmington (UMaine Farmington or UMF) is a public liberal arts college in Farmington, Maine. It is part of the University of Maine System and a founding member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Histo ...

in May 2011. He has a Juris Doctor degree from the

University of Maine School of Law The University of Maine School of Law (UMaine Law or Maine Law) is public law school in Portland, Maine. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and Maine's only law school. It is also part of the University of Maine System. The school's ...

Career

Maine House of Representatives

Elections

In 2010, he decided to run for Maine's 7th House district based in Aroostook County. He was the Republican nominee and defeated Democrat nominee Troy Haines 54%-46%. He became the youngest person to ever win an election for the Maine House of Representatives. In 2012, he won re-election to a second term, defeating Haines again, 52%-48%.

Tenure

The district includes 10 towns: Castle Hill, Chapman, Hammond, Littleton,

Mapleton Mapleton may refer to: Places Australia * Mapleton, Queensland, a rural town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region Canada * Mapleton, New Brunswick, a rural community in Kings County * Mapleton, Moncton, New Brunswick, a neighborhood * Maple ...

, Masardis,

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

Wade Wade, WADE, or Wades may refer to: Places in the United States * Wade, California, a former settlement * Wade, Maine, a town * Wade, Mississippi, a census-designated place * Wade, North Carolina, a town * Wade, Ohio, an unincorporated communi ...

, Washburn, and

Oxbow __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term " oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-shaped meander in a rive ...

. In addition, it also includes part of the city of Presque isle and unorganized territory of Central Aroostook. He was also the House Chairman of the Legislative Youth Advisory Council for the 125th Legislature. In the next session, he was elected as Assistant Minority Leader of the House GOP leadership. In his first term in the Maine House, he sponsored a resolution which passed raising the speed limit on I-95 between Houlton, Maine and

Old Town, Maine Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,431 at the 2020 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on the relatively large Marsh Island, though its boundaries extend beyond that. The island i ...

. He resigned his seat on September 4, 2014, stating that his work on

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Paul LePage Paul Richard LePage (; born October 9, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 74th Governor of Maine from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, LePage served two terms as a city councilor in Waterville, Maine, before being ...

's reelection campaign has rendered him unable to adequately represent his district.

Committee assignments

*Leaves of Absence *Rules and Business *Transportation *Veterans and Legal Affairs

2014 congressional election

On July 1, 2013, Willette announced he would run for the open

Maine's 2nd congressional district Maine's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maine. Covering , it comprises nearly 80% of the state's total land area. The district comprises most of the land area north of the Portland, Maine, Portland an ...

seat, after incumbent congressman

Mike Michaud Michael Herman Michaud (born January 18, 1955) is an American businessman and politician from Maine. Michaud served as the U.S. representative for from 2003 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The primarily rural district comprises ...

announced he would run for

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, though he suspended his campaign on August 28, 2013.

State of Maine

In 2014 he served as Director of Communications and Coalitions for

's Campaign for Governor.LinkedIn Profile
/ref> From 2014 to 2015 he served as Director of Legislative Affairs and Communications for the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services. From 2015 to 2019 he served as an Assistant District Attorney in the State of Maine.

Other activities

From 2008 to 2018 he was an Associate Broker for Big Bear Real Estate. After leaving the Trump administration he returned to that position. From 2013 to 2019 he served as a member of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. Political action committee, political committee that assists the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republi ...

representing the State of Maine.

Military service

He joined the

Maine Army National Guard The Maine Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one-thir ...

in May 2017. Currently as a captain, he served as a State Trial Defense Counsel. Previously he had served As the Assistant Brigade Judge Advocate for the 120th Regional Support Group in Bangor, Maine.

Trump administration

He joined the Trump administration in 2019. From April 2019 to January 2021 he has served as a Special Assistant To The President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs for Outreach in the

Executive Office of the President The Executive Office of the President (EOP) comprises the offices and agencies that support the work of the president at the center of the executive branch of the United States federal government. The EOP consists of several offices and agenc ...

Personal life

Willette is married to Melissa Willette and they live in Mapleton. He is a

Master Mason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

with the Trinity lodge. He is an Eagle Scout with Troop 170 in Mapleton and 171 in Presque Isle.Alexander Reginald Willette bio
Maine.gov His father, Michael Willette, served in the Maine House of Representatives from 2008 to 2012, representing District 5 in Presque Isle.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willette, Alexander 1989 births Living people People from Presque Isle, Maine Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives University of Maine at Farmington alumni University of Maine School of Law alumni Republican National Committee members Trump administration personnel United States Army officers