House District 14 Seat Race Open
MAR 22, 2024
BAR HARBOR—The race for House District 14 (Bar Harbor, Cranberry Isles, Lamoine, Mount Desert) will be wide open this year as Lynne Williams (D) has announced that she will not run again for the seat.
Williams had been serving her second term in the Maine House of Representatives.
Williams, a Bar Harbor attorney, will begin working for the state as a workers’ compensation mediator somewhere around April 17, when the legislative session is scheduled to end.
“I loved serving as a member of the House and representing Bar Harbor, Lamoine, Mount Desert, and the Cranberry Isles,” Williams said. “However, it was a very part-time job, part of the year, and it was difficult to fit other work into the schedule. I think that is the reason that many of the members are retired folks.”
Williams stressed that she will not be moving out of Bar Harbor, but will be renting a room in or near Augusta to stay on the days that she is there. Williams has an extensive background in conflict resolution, which she expects will come in handy at the position. Her Ph.D from the University of Southern California allowed her to have a specialization in conflict resolution.
According to Chair of the Maine Democratic Party Bev Uhlenhake, “Lynne has served the people of Maine very well and she’s always been standing up for the rights of individuals across the state of Maine. We’re thrilled to have her involved for as long as we have.”
Williams was an organizer after graduate school, still in Southern California. She was a fundraiser and campaign advisor for multiple political candidates and in the early 1980s, she was on Senator Gary Hart’s national staff as he ran for president.
More locally, Williams has made an impact during her time in Bar Harbor, serving on and chairing multiple town committees. She also made an impact during her time in the legislature and with other legislators like Bangor representative Amy Roeder.
“We started our legislative service at the same time, navigating the often hard to decipher protocols and procedures at the state house with frequent breaks for chats and laughter,” Roeder said. “Lynne’s long professional career as a lawyer served her well in the legislature and made her a resource for the rest of us when we had legal questions…specifically about weed. Lynne had a lot of experience in the law and policy of cannabis in Maine and when she put in a bill to regulate the rule making process of the Office of Cannabis Policy, it was evident just how many of us trusted her perspective and her knowledge.”
Roeder spoke of one specific cannabis bill that was moved “ought not to pass” in the House.
“But Lynne had been talking to all of us about the bill and educating us about the necessity of the bill,” Roeder said. “In the end, only a handful of people voted against the bill which proves Lynne’s ability to build consensus and dedication to bipartisan solutions.”
Rep. Williams was a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.
“Probably my favorite Lynne moments were when she brought her son to the capitol as her guest. Brandon is an incredibly talented young man and is a dedicated activist,” Roeder said. “Lynne is so evidently proud of Brandon and vice versa. Individually and together, they are a delight. Lynne brought skill, knowledge, humor, and common sense to her work in the legislature. We can all learn from her example and are better for having had the joy of working with her.”
Williams was also a seasonal bookstore owner in Bar Harbor and served on the town’s harbor committee and as past chair; planning board and conservation committee. She is a former member of the Riley School board of trustees in Rockport, Maine (2016 – 2019); and has been a member of the gala fundraising committee of Friends of Acadia (intermittently since 2005). She has a B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Experimental Psychology, Ph.D. in Social Psychology, and a J.D. in Law.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Lynne Williams’ legislative site.
Legislative news related to her efforts in the state house.
Meet Your House District 14 Candidates
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OCTOBER 3, 2022
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