*Please note: This article is a student blog written by a Kevin B. Harrington Student Ambassador. The Ambassador Program is a unique opportunity for Saint Anselm College students of any major to be involved in supporting the Institute's various events and activities. To learn more about our student ambassadors please visit the NHIOP website.
On March 9, 2023, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College welcomed Chloe Maxmin, the youngest woman ever elected to the Maine State Senate. Maxmin recently finished her second term in the Maine Legislature.
In 2018, Maxmin ran for the Maine State House as a Democrat in a predominantly conservative district. Two years later, she unseated the highest-ranking Republican in Maine to win a seat in the State Senate. Chloe's approach to campaigning was rooted in finding common values despite partisan leanings and building campaigns based on mutual respect, listening, and understanding.
As a politician, Maxmin stresses equal access to opportunity for everyone in America. Growing up in the rural community of Nobleboro, Maine, she found that politics did not define the relationships around her. It was not until she went to college at Harvard University in Boston, Mass., that she realized this unique quality of her hometown.
In high school, Maxmin realized her passion for making a difference, and in college she learned the nuances of organization and “power building” in fighting for forms of justice and change. Ultimately, she became politically active after acknowledging that “the people who make choices about our lives are the people on our ballots in November.” To Maxmin, there was a serious lack of representation for both young and rural voters across America.
Conversations about polarizing topics must adapt to the communities they are addressing. In the predominantly GOP leaning rural district she represented, Maxmin knew the potential of a largely ignored demographic “worth investing in.”
In battleground states, 40 percent of voters are rural. Maxmin recognized that politics are largely decided by this demographic, and provided a variety of reasons Democrats typically lose rural Americans.
“As their main constituency lives in cities, many Democrats simply overlook this population,” she explains. Additionally, Democrats tend to regard this demographic with a certain degree of condescension, alienating voters. Politicians, and “Democrats in particular,” often appear unrelatable for these people. The chair of the DNC when Maxmin ran for public office in 2018 was quoted saying: “you can’t door knock in rural America.”
In discussing her campaigning, Maxmin emphasized an approach that appealed to the humanity of the individual voter. In Maine’s 88th district, Maxmin prioritized grassroots organization without consultants. “This was different in today’s politics; focusing on voter turnout and just connecting with new folks” had ceased to be the norm.
Maxmin ultimately curated a campaign built on authenticity. “Everything, and I mean everything was done from scratch. This really resonated with people.” The local newspaper for Lincoln County was utilized during campaigning to use the art of storytelling rooted in shared values; Maxmin even had campaign signs that were hand painted. She also notes that campaigning was “100 percent positive,” never attacking an opponent for a leg-up.
When door knocking, Maxmin made a point in seeking Republicans and Independents in order to hear different perspectives and achieve common ground.
“It’s scary to walk up to someone’s door when you likely have little in common. But finding moments of meaningful conversation and connections are so sacred in making a difference for the communities you are representing,” she stated.
The event concluded with a Q&A session, in which several members of the audience asked for Maxmin’s insight in bridging the partisan divide in today’s political climate.
“Because politics is so personal, it can be difficult to set judgment aside. But it is so valuable to listen and see where your political opposites are coming from.” She concluded by stating that “negativity should not overwhelm how we approach politics, even when jumping to conclusions on the basis of party.”
The event was part of the Bean Distinguished Lecturer Series.