John Elias Baldacci
USABiography of John Elias Baldacci
John Elias Baldacci, an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, served as the 73rd governor of the state of Maine. He was born on January 30, 1955, in Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine, USA. Growing up in a Lebanese-Italian family, John was involved in the family business of running the restaurant 'Momma Baldacci' in Bangor.
After graduating from high school, Baldacci earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Maine in Orono. He began his political career at a young age, becoming a member of the Bangor City Council at the age of 23 in 1978. Continuing his political activism, John won a seat in the Maine State Senate in 1982 and served as its representative for 12 years.
Following the resignation of his cousin, United States Senator George J. Mitchell, in 1994, Baldacci was chosen to represent Maine's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, replacing Olympia Snowe. He entered Congress in 1996, serving in the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Baldacci won his first governorship in 2002, receiving 47% of the votes against Republican candidate Peter Cianchette's 41%. He officially took office on January 8, 2003. He was re-elected in subsequent elections, defeating four major candidates. As governor, Baldacci was a member of the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association.
In 2005, Baldacci introduced a bill to expand civil rights for residents of Maine, aiming to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. On May 6, 2009, he signed a law legalizing same-sex marriages in the state of Maine. Additionally, he supports regionalization efforts, although rural lawmakers often oppose such initiatives, viewing them as a weakening of their communities.
In order to retain his governorship, Baldacci began his re-election campaign in 2006 and won the election with 38% of the votes, surpassing Chandler Woodcock (30%), Barbara Merrill (21%), Phillip NaPier, and Pat LaMarche (10%).
Baldacci, a Catholic, resides in Augusta, the capital of Maine, with his wife Karen and their son Jack. His current gubernatorial term will end in January 2011.
