Michael D. Thibodeau (born July 16, 1966) is an American politician and businessman from Maine. He was a
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 ...
State Senator 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 ...
's 23rd District, representing all of
Waldo County
Waldo County is a county in the state of Maine, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,607. Its county seat is Belfast. The county was founded on 7 February 1827 from a portion of Hancock County and named after ...
. He graduated from
Hampden Academy
Hampden Academy is a public high school located at 89 Western Avenue in Hampden, Maine, United States. The school is a part of Regional School Unit #22 (R.S.U. 22), with approximately 708 students from Hampden, Newburgh, Frankfort and Winterpo ...
in 1984.
He was first elected to the
Maine State 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 ...
in 2010 after serving from 2006 to 2010 as state representative. He also served on the board of selectmen of Winterport.
Career
In 2006, Thibodeau defeated Winterport Charter Commissioner Donna Gilbert after Rep.
Jeffrey Kaelin withdrew. He ran as a
Clean Elections candidate.
In 2008, Thibodeau, running as an incumbent, was narrowly re-elected over Seth Yentes after spending nearly $10,000 of his own money and over $13,000 overall on his re-election campaign.
[
An outspoken critic of ]same-sex marriage in Maine
Same-sex marriage in Maine has been legally recognized since December 29, 2012. A bill for the legalization of same-sex marriages was approved by voters, 53–47 percent, on November 6, 2012, as Maine, Maryland and Washington became the first U. ...
, Thibodeau voted against a 2009 bill to legalize it, saying "Let’s be honest. This isn’t about civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
. It’s about a social agenda that tears at the very fabric of our society".
In 2010, Thibodeau sought District 23 in the 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 Constituti ...
, where he sought to replace fellow Republican Carol Weston. Running as a clean elections candidate, defeated fellow state representative and former House Majority Leader John Piotti with 54% of the vote in the two-way race.
In 2012, he successfully sought re-election. Following the election, which featured Republicans losing control of both the state senate and house of representatives, Thibodeau was named Republican minority leader of the Maine Senate.
Thibodeau announced on December 3, 2013, that he was considering entering the 2014 Second District congressional race.
Upon his party obtaining the majority in the November 4, 2014 legislative elections, Thibodeau was chosen to be Senate President when the new legislative session begins on December 3, 2014.
Thibodeau was reelected Senate President after his party held their majority, albeit a two-seat loss to the Democrats.
On October 17, 2017, Thibodeau announced his run for the 2018 Maine gubernatorial election.
On March 26, 2018, it was announced that Thibodeau had withdrawn from the 2018 Maine Gubernatorial Election.
References
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1966 births
21st-century American politicians
Businesspeople from Maine
Living people
Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives
Minority leaders of the Maine Senate
People from Winterport, Maine
Hampden Academy alumni
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