Lisa Savage announces campaign for Maine's U.S. Senate seat

October 10, 2019 | Media Release

For Further Information: Sam Pfeifle

207-749-0298 sampfeifle@gmail.com  @SamPfeifle

Lisa Savage, a teacher and grandmother from Solon, will announce her exploratory campaign for U.S. Senate on October 10 at noon in Congress Square Park, Portland. Savage is testing the waters for a run on the Maine Green Independent Party ticket in the first U.S. Senate race to use ranked choice voting.

“People are hungry for real change, but the political establishment fails to listen, year after year,” she said. “I’m exploring a run to give Mainers a Senator who represents everyday people again, rather than big corporations, lobbyists and billionaires who are calling the shots in Washington.” Savage has pledged not to accept donations from for-profit corporate lobbyists or PACs.

“As a teacher in rural Maine, I work every day with children whose families are struggling to survive in an economy that has thrown working people under the bus,” said Savage. “I believe, as residents of the richest country in world history, we all deserve the fundamentals of a secure life, like good union jobs through a Green New Deal that will put millions to work tackling the climate crisis, a Medicare for All healthcare system that provides health care as a human right for everyone and stops driving sick people into bankruptcy, and quality education for all, including free public higher education without student debt.”

As a strong independent progressive candidate, Lisa’s campaign would increase the turnout of progressive and independent voters in the first Senate race ever to use ranked choice voting. Under this new system, Lisa’s presence in the race would not “split the vote”, but rather increase the vote to unseat Sen. Collins who has increasingly aligned herself with Donald Trump’s far-right Republican agenda.



Lisa Savage has a long history of service on behalf of people, planet, and peace. She has fought for and won better health care, wages, and job security for working people as former vice president and chief negotiator for her local bargaining unit of the Maine Education Association.

To jump start a Green New Deal for Maine and beyond, Lisa has been leading a campaign initiated by Bath Iron Workers decades ago to convert the factory to supply green energy and transportation needs for the nation. “We can make Maine the source of Green infrastructure for the Northeast and beyond, building solutions like commuter trains, solar panels and offshore wind towers - rather than wasting billions on needless, polluting war ships that make the climate crisis worse,” Lisa noted.

Lisa has been watch-dogging the use of our federal tax dollars as past coordinator of the Bring Our War Dollars Home campaign.  “Global warming is already harming our farms, fisheries and coast,” said Savage. “Yet Congress is diverting almost 60% of our federal discretionary budget to the Pentagon for endless, unwinnable wars that make the world less safe and worsen climate change. It’s time to put those wasted dollars to work for true security here at home, building the green technology of the future. This is a win-win-win for our workers, our state and our world.”

Lisa has organized for social justice in partnership with Showing Up For Racial Justice - Central Maine and Maine Wabanaki-REACH, and she helped get legislation passed to end the demeaning use of Native Americans as school mascots in Maine.

Prior to becoming a teacher Lisa managed a family-owned small business in Skowhegan for seven years. She has a history degree from Bowdoin College and a masters degree in education from the University of Southern Maine. Lisa and her husband, self-employed woodworker Mark Roman, have five grown children and four grandchildren.

“People are fed up with business as usual in Washington DC,” Lisa stated. “The political establishment has brought us endless wars abroad, impoverished us at home, and sold our democracy to the highest bidder. Now we have an historic opportunity in this first Senate race with Ranked Choice Voting, which gives everyone the freedom to vote for the greater good."

"We’ve never had a better opportunity - or a more urgent need - for a people-powered campaign to make history. Together, we can create a Maine and a nation that works for all of us!"

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[Lisa is a dear friend and I will be volunteering on her campaign.  With Rank Choice Voting for this US Senate race in Maine anything is possible.  I write this from the Mumbai, India airport.  It is 4:30 am time back in Maine now.  I am a bit tired but excited for Lisa.  You can find her web site here.  Bruce]