Senator Joe Rafferty, D-Kennebunk, was sworn into the Maine Senate on Dec. 4 Rafferty was elected to his third term in the Senate in November.

Governor Janet Mils administered the oath of office to Rafferty and his colleagues, all of whom have been elected to serve two years. He represents the people of Senate District 34, that includes all of Berwick, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, North Berwick and Wells.

“I’m excited to be returning to continue my work in the Senate,” said Rafferty in a news release. “I am grateful to the people of York County for entrusting me to be your voice in the State House. I continue to be committed to passing and supporting meaningful legislation that will benefit Mainers and keep our state on the right track.”

According to the news release, Rafferty, better known to his neighbors as coach Raff, graduated from Springfield College with a degree in physical education, making him the first person in his family to graduate from college. He went on to an extended career in education that continues to this day. Since 1978, his goal has been to provide his students and players the support they need to become the leaders he knows they can be — no matter the path they choose in life.

The swearing-in ceremony was held in the Senate Chamber, and was attended by family and friends of the senators, as well as the general public. A live stream of the event was made available to the general public, and can be viewed at http://legislature.maine.gov/senate/.

According to the news release, Rafferty, throughout his career, worked for fellow educators in local and state associations. From 1984 until his retirement in 2018, he was a strong advocate and voice for teachers, serving in various capacities: as president of the teacher’s union, building representative on the executive committee, and chief negotiator on the contract negotiation team. Rafferty approached negotiations with an eye toward two goals many Mainers seek — to earn a living wage and have access to affordable health care.

Of the 35 members of the Maine Senate, there are 20 Democrats and 15 Republicans. Fourteen are women and 21 are men. There are 13 new members of the Senate: seven have recently served in the House of Representatives, and six have no previous legislative experience. Twenty-eight members are incumbents.

The Legislature will reconvene at the start of the New Year. For more information, visit www.mainesenate.org.