About Pinny

Pinny Beebe-Center first moved to Knox County as a young adult following her father’s first posting in the U.S. Coast Guard. Her father’s career in the military inspired Pinny to serve her own community, first in her employment for the State of Maine, and later as a public servant as Knox County Commissioner, as Maine State Representative for District 93, and as your current State Senator in Senate District 12.

Pinny’s career is driven by her desire to help others and to improve government programs and systems. Public service is a hard-wired value for Pinny and one she experienced first-hand from caring teachers and adults in the formative years of her life. She will continue to bring her experience, skills and passion to serve the residents in Maine’s District 12 in her next term as Senator.

Maine Senate District 12 includes Appleton, Camden, Cushing, Friendship, Hope, Matinicus, North Haven, Owl’s Head, Rockland, Rockport, South Thomaston, St. George, Thomaston, Union, Vinalhaven, and Warren.

Why Pinny

Pinny believes deeply in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. That philosophy has inspired all her decisions. It prompted her to run for the Maine House in 2015, where she served three terms as a State Representative for District 93, and to run for Senate in 2022, where she now serves as the current State Senator.

As Senator, Pinny serves on the Senate Committees on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, and Marine Resources. In these roles, she worked with members of law enforcement, people in Rockland and Owls Head who experienced substance use disorders, as well as with those who were leaving incarceration. This deepened her understanding of the issues and highlighted the importance of changing the public perception about incarcerated people. In Maine, we help those in our community who are struggling and know that all Americans can earn the opportunity for a second chance.

Pinny’s growing passion for this work led her to decide not to run for re-election to the House in 2020 so that she could deepen her understanding of how the criminal justice system operates and how it might be reformed. Since then, she’s worked with key stakeholders, including the Knox County Sheriff’s office, the Belfast Reentry Center and the Restorative Justice Project, to help create new trajectories for those reentering the community after incarceration. She will bring those new understandings to her work as Senator in 2024.

Pinny's Experience

Pinny has dedicated her life to serving her community and has worked as a teacher, for the State of Maine in Education and Transportation, and as the Regional Manager for Penquis Community Action Program.

While working at Penquis in the height of the Great Recession, Pinny saw firsthand how many hardworking, educated Mainers lost their jobs. This brought that community together to acknowledge that homelessness could happen to anyone. In response, Pinny founded the Knox County Homeless Coalition and led the effort to rehab a former shelter to serve families. She was heartened by the growing level of support across many sectors in the community, including schools, employers, churches, civic organizations, hotel owners, campground owners, and retail stores among others. It was an example of a community acknowledging a growing problem and coming together to create a successful response.

On the Issues

Economy

Pinny knows that small businesses are the backbone of our economy here in Maine. Small businesses are family businesses, and supporting small businesses feeds the strength of our families, and therefore the whole community. As a small business owner herself, Pinny has experienced firsthand just how hard the past year has been for business and workers. In Augusta, she would support policies that allow our businesses to thrive, including expanding broadband access across the state.

Education

As a former teacher, Pinny understands the value of education and has long advocated for the State to meet its 55% funding requirement for public schools. Pinny will fight for policies that support our schools and guarantee that every child has access to quality education.

Healthcare

Pinny believes that all Mainers should have access to affordable, quality healthcare. Currently, our healthcare system puts profits over people. Pinny will fight for a system that puts the health and well-being of Mainers first and brings down the cost of prescription drugs.

Environment

As a Representative, Pinny has been a champion of environmental issues and has a near perfect lifetime score from Maine Conservation Voters. Living in Knox County, she knows just how important the environment is for recreation, tourism, and our heritage industries like fishing and lobstering. As a Representative, Pinny was a member of the Legislature’s Coastal Caucus, a bipartisan group dedicated to learning about Gulf of Maine warming, and the impacts of climate change on our State. As a Senator, Pinny would continue to support policies that protect our environment and natural resources for generations to come.

About Pinny

Why Pinny

Pinny's Experience

On the Issues

Economy

Education

Healthcare

Environment

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