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Jill Duson

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Jill Duson
Member of the Maine Senate
from the 27th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 7, 2022
Preceded byHeather Sanborn
Mayor of Portland
In office
December 2008 – December 2010
Preceded byEdward Suslovic
Succeeded byNick Mavodones Jr.
In office
December 2004 – December 2005
Preceded byNathan Smith
Succeeded byJames I. Cohen
Personal details
BornJill C. Duson[1]
1953 (age 72–73)
Chester, Pennsylvania
PartyDemocratic
SpouseDivorced
ChildrenTwo
Alma materAntioch College (BA)
University of Pennsylvania Law School (JD)
Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. (Certificate in State & Local Government)
OccupationAttorney, Lobbyist, Retail

Jill C. Duson (born 1953) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and politician from Portland, Maine.

Political career

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Duson has served on both the Portland School Board[2] and the Portland, Maine City Council since 2001. In 2004, Duson became the first African-American mayor of Portland, Maine's largest city, and the first African-American woman mayor in the state when she was elected by her fellow council members to chair meetings under the city's then council-manager system.[3]

In 2011, Duson ran for the newly created position of mayor. Rep. Anne Haskell was her campaign manager.[4] She finished in sixth place out of fifteen candidates on the ballot.

In 2012, Duson was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and a Democratic elector in the general election.[5] She was a supporter of President Barack Obama.[6]

In June 2016, Duson ran for the Democratic nomination for State Senate in her district. She lost to Representative and former sheriff Mark Dion.[7]

In November 2017, Duson was re-elected for the fifth time, over two challengers.[8] Soon thereafter, she declared her intent to seek the nomination for State Senate in the 2018 election, after Dion announced his intention to run for governor.[9] In June, Duson received approximately 41% of the votes in the Democratic primary, and lost to Maine Rep. Heather Sanborn.[10]

Duson did not seek re-election in 2020. She was elected to the Maine Senate in 2022, becoming the first Black woman to serve as a state senator in Maine's history.[11]

Policies

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In April 2015, Duson led the charge to reduce the city's minimum wage to $8.75 an hour from the proposed $10.10 per hour proposed by Mayor Michael F. Brennan. Duson's proposal passed the city's Finance Committee before being rejected by the City Council in favor of the original proposal.[12]

Personal

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Duson grew up impoverished in Chester, Pennsylvania. Her mother was part of a rent strike when she was a child. However, she earned a B.A. from Antioch College, a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a Certificate in Senior Executive in State & Local Government from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.[4]

Duson has dealt with financial troubles, including potential foreclosure on her home in Portland's North Deering neighborhood. According to court records, she "had about $73 in the bank" at the time of her 2012 bankruptcy. In 2017, Duson was still fighting to avoid foreclosure.[13]

Outside of elected office, Duson has worked as a lobbyist for Central Maine Power,[2] Director of Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Maine Department of Labor, compliance director for the Maine Human Rights Commission as well as in retail with L.L.Bean.[5]

References

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  1. ↑ "Sen. Jill Duson receives recognition from National Women's Organization". October 21, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Harry, David (May 16, 2016). "Election 2016: Portland, Westbrook Democrats tout experience in Senate District 28 primary". The Forecaster. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  3. ↑ Lee, Maureen Elgersman (2005). Black Bangor: African Americans in a Maine Community, 1880-1950. UPNE. pp. 21–. ISBN 9781584654995. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Singer, Jason (October 25, 2011). "Jill Duson: Strong resume, plus life experience". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Delaney, Arthur (September 4, 2012). "Middle Class Meltdown At DNC". HuffPost. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Maine electors cast votes for Obama, Biden". Bangor Daily News. December 17, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  7. ↑ Bridgers, Leslie (June 14, 2016). "Rep. Mark Dion wins Democratic primary for Senate seat in Portland, Westbrook". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  8. ↑ Koenig, Seth (November 7, 2017). "2 incumbents, 1 newcomer win in Portland council races". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Duson runs for Dion seat in state Senate". Keep Me Current. January 4, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  10. ↑ Graham, Gillian (June 12, 2018). "Portland Rep. Sanborn wins Democratic primary for state senate". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  11. ↑ Sharp, David (December 8, 2022). "Daughter of Maine's 1st Black legislator named state House speaker". Associated Press. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  12. ↑ McCracker, Carol (April 15, 2015). "Duson's Proposal to Reduce Minimum Wage Passes Finance Committee". Munjoy Hill News. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  13. ↑ Bleiberg, Jake (April 6, 2017). "Portland city councilor battling credit union to keep her house". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
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