Justin Chenette

Justin Chenette made history in 2012 when, at just 21 years old, he became Maine's youngest lawmaker and the nations youngest openly gay legislator. He was sworn into office just a week before graduating from college. Since then, Justin has spent nearly a decade in public office. He is a former 4-term Maine lawmaker having served 4 years in the Sen... ate and 4 years in the House of Representatives. Justins public service career began in high school at age 17 when Governor John Baldacci appointed him to serve on the Maine State Board of Education, making history as the first student board member. He currently serves as a Maine-Canadian Legislative Advisory Commissioner and a member of the Maine Right to Know Advisory Committee, after being appointed by Senate President Troy Jackson in 2021. In these roles, Justin works to strengthen cooperation between Canada and Maine as well as works to improve public access and transparency in government. Locally, he also serves as a mayoral appointee on the Saco Long-Range Planning Committee, helping to chart the citys future. Justin has been recognized nationally by The Advocate magazine, listing him on their list of the 40 Under 40 most accomplished leaders throughout the entire country. In the Legislature, he chaired the bipartisan Government Oversight Committee, taking a leadership role holding agencies and department heads accountable to ensure effectiveness of programs and to safeguard taxpayer dollars. He served on a number of committees including Senate Ethics, Environment & Natural Resources, Criminal Justice & Public Safety, Taxation, State & Local Government, Maine Climate Councils Coastal & Marine Working Group, and founded the Democracy Reform Caucus and the Youth Caucus. He also served as a Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commissioner, advising on the legal and economic impacts of trade agreements on existing laws, working conditions and businesses in Maine. Justin worked to pass successful legislation that reformed campaign finance laws to reduce money in politics, ...Read More