SACO — State Senator Justin Chenette, a Democrat, has announced he is running for re-election for District 31 seat, representing the communities of Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Hollis, Limington, and part of Buxton. 

Chenette, who lives in Saco, is currently serving his first term in the State Senate. Prior to the Senate, he served two terms as a state representative. 

Chenette, 26, is the youngest member of the State Senate. In 2012, Chenette made history by becoming the nation’s youngest openly gay legislator and Maine’s youngest lawmaker at age 21.

“My fight to create a more ethical, transparent, and accountable government isn’t over. I will continue speaking truth to power. The system needs cleaning up and I’m stepping up to the plate,” said Chenette in a written statement. “Now more than ever, we need to elect individuals who embody the highest ideals of public service and who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves to get the job done.”

Chenette said that in his time in the Senate, he has focused on advocating for an expansion of property tax relief programs, respecting the will of the voter-approved referendums, addressing the opioid crisis through treatment, and fighting to have the strictest ethics and campaign finance rules in the country. 

Chenette is involved in the community as president of Saco’s downtown development organization Saco Main Street, vice president of Friends of the OOB Ballpark, and as a member of the Saco Bay Rotary Club, Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Buxton-Hollis Historical Society. 

Chenette said he is running as a clean elections candidate. 

“I’m not beholden to special interest groups, multinational corporations, and slick lobbyists because I don’t take a dime from them,” said Chenette. “My campaign and subsequently my legislative service is people powered and runs on common sense ideas not large checkbooks seeking to grease the wheels of government to benefit themselves.”