Craig V. Hickman (born December 8, 1967) is an American writer,
farmer, and Democratic 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 north ...
currently representing
Maine Senate
The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution ...
District 14. He served in the 126th
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via p ...
as the representative for Maine's 82nd district from 2012-2018. Hickman won his 2012
primary election
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
by nearly 80%, and campaigned on ending hunger, eliminating regulations for small farms and businesses, and investing in
sustainable energy
Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...
initiatives. Hickman was elected to the Maine Senate in a 2021 special election, succeeding
Shenna Bellows
Shenna Lee Bellows (born March 23, 1975) is an American politician and a non-profit executive director, best known for her work with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She is the 50th Maine secretary of state. On December 2, 2020 the Mai ...
.
Early life and career
Hickman was born in
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
, on December 8, 1967. He is of
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
heritage. He attended high-school at Rufus King High School in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
, where he was
valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution.
The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
. Hickman attended college at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, graduating in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in Government. He first ran for the Maine House in 2010, losing to incumbent Patrick Flood. In 2012 he won his primary election by a sizable margin, and then the general election on November 6, 2012, beating Republican Scott Davis 59%–41%.
Two years later, in the midst of a Republican wave, Hickman won re-election against Republican Lee Fellman by a landslide margin, 65%-35%.
Hickman spoke about his farm and announced the delegates earned by
Joe Biden and
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
in the
2020 Maine Democratic presidential primary
The 2020 Maine Democratic presidential primary took place on March 3, 2020, as one of 15 contests scheduled on Super Tuesday in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 presidential election, following the South Carolina primary the weekend be ...
at the
2020 Democratic National Convention
The 2020 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that was held from August 17 to 20, 2020, at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and virtually across the United States. At the convention, delegates of ...
roll call.
Personal life
Hickman currently lives in
Winthrop, Maine
Winthrop is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,121 at the 2020 census. Winthrop's population, however, approximately doubles during the summer months as part-year residents return to seasonal camps located on ...
, with his husband, Jop Blom. He is one of six openly gay members of the Maine Legislature, alongside Sen.
Justin Chenette
Justin Chenette (born April 23, 1991) is an American politician from Maine. Chenette, a Democrat, formerly represented District 31 in the Maine Senate. Chenette made history at age 21 becoming the youngest legislator in Maine, and was one of fiv ...
(D–
Saco) and Reps.
Matt Moonen
Matt Moonen is an American politician from Maine. A Democrat from Portland, he was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2012. Moonen, who could not run for reelection to the House in 2020 due to term limits, was a candidate for M ...
(D–
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
),
Ryan Fecteau
Ryan Michael Fecteau (born September 18, 1992) is the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives. A Democrat, Fecteau serves Maine House District 11, consisting of a portion of Biddeford. At the time of his election as Speaker of the House in ...
(D–
Biddeford
Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddeford Poo ...
),
Lois Galgay Reckitt (D–
South Portland) and
Andrew McLean (D–
Gorham).
He operates the 25-acre historic Annabessacook Farm Bed & Breakfast,
where he regularly serves free meals to underprivileged citizens.
Hickman also writes one of the top-ranked independent sports blogs on the internet, and is past President of the Winthrop Area Rotary Club.
Hickman was seriously burned on July 10, 2018 while attempting to light a brush pile on fire.
Achievements
Hickman's book ''Fumbling Toward Divinity'' was a finalist in the Spirituality category at the
2006 Lambda Literary Awards
The 18th Lambda Literary Awards were held in 2006, to honor works of LGBT literature published in 2005.
Nominees and winners
References
External links
18th Lambda Literary Awards
{{Lambda Literary Awards
Lambda Literary Awards
Lambda
Lam ...
. In addition, he has received a fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council,
a Gertrude Johnson Literary Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and a Spirit of America Foundation Award.
Books
* 1993: ''The Language of Mirrors''
* 1994: ''Rituals: Poetry and Prose''
* 2005: ''Fumbling Toward Divinity''
References
External links
Personal website Huffington Post profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hickman, Craig
1967 births
Living people
Harvard University alumni
Democratic Party members of the Maine House of Representatives
African-American state legislators in Maine
Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin
People from Winthrop, Maine
Gay politicians
LGBT state legislators in Maine
American gay writers
LGBT African Americans
LGBT people from Wisconsin
American male non-fiction writers
Farmers from Maine
African-American farmers
2012 United States presidential electors
21st-century American politicians
American spiritual writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American male writers
Democratic Party Maine state senators
21st-century African-American writers
20th-century African-American people
21st-century LGBT people
African-American male writers