Susan A. Deschambault (born November 25, 1947) is an American politician and retired law enforcement officer 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 nor ...

. She represents

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 ...

District 32, which comprises the towns of

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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 ...

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Kennebunkport Kennebunkport is a resort town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,629 people at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area. The town center, the are ...

and Lyman. Deschambault, a Democrat from

, was first elected in a special election in March 2016. Prior to the Senate, she served two terms as a city councilor in Biddeford and was president of the Maine Association of Police for 21 years.

Early life and education

Deschambault was born in 1974 and received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from St. Francis College. She is a licensed social worker. Deschambault served as a Biddeford city councilor for two terms and was the chairman of the Biddeford Planning Board.

Maine Department of Corrections

Deschambault began her career in corrections at the Stevens School for Girls in

Hallowell, Maine Hallowell is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,570 at the 2020 census. Popular with tourists, Hallowell is noted for its culture and old architecture. Hallowell is included in the Augusta, Maine, micropolitan ...

following the enactment of the 1976 Code of Juvenile Justice. She continued working as a social worker and correctional caseworker for the

Maine Department of Corrections The Maine Department of Corrections is a state agency of Maine that is responsible for the direction and general administrative supervision, guidance and planning of both adult and juvenile correctional facilities and programs within the state. T ...

for 43 years until her retirement. She spent more than 40 years in the Maine Department of Corrections as a social worker and served on the Biddeford police commission for 12 years, eventually becoming Biddeford’s first female police commissioner.

Maine Senate

On January 28, 2016 Senator David Dutremble of Maine Senate District 28 resigned his position to focus on recovering from

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

. On March 29, a special election was held to fill his vacant seat, and Deschambault defeated Republican Stephen Martin 57%-41%. On Friday, April 2, when Deschambault and her family arrived at Governor

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 office for her swearing-in ceremony, they were informed that the ceremony had been canceled by the governor. According to a spokesperson for LePage, the governor canceled the ceremony as a response to state Democrats' lack of support for his nominee to the Maine Unemployment Insurance Commission. LePage eventually swore in Deschambault on April 5, the last day he was legally obligated to do so. Senate President Michael Thibodeau postponed roll-call votes in the Senate until after Deschambault was sworn in. In June 2016, Deschambault won the Democratic primary for the November 8 general election with 85% of the vote and defeated Republican Matthew Stone 59%-41% in the general election. Deschambault and a delegation of other New England state legislators traveled to Taiwan to meet with other elected officials and discuss forms of democratic government.

Personal life

Deschambault is a lifelong Biddeford resident. She has one adult son.

Electoral history

References

External links

Senator Susan Deschambault on FacebookMaine State Legislature: Senator Susan Deschambault
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deschambault, Susan 1947 births Living people Democratic Party Maine state senators Women state legislators in Maine Politicians from Biddeford, Maine Maine city council members 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians American women police officers Women city councillors in Maine