Chellie Pingree

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Chellie Pingree (born April 2, 1955 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is President and CEO of Common Cause, a nonpartisan citizens' lobbying group based in Washington, DC.

Prior to her appointment as head of the organization in March of 2003, Pingree was Senate Majority Leader in the Maine State Senate, representing her island community of North Haven, Maine . In 2002, she made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by junior senator Susan Collins, and lost by a margin of 16%.

Pingree attended the University of Southern Maine and the College of the Atlantic.

Pingree held various farming and care-taking jobs until 1981, when she started North Island Yarn, a cottage industry of hand knitters with a retail store on the island of North Haven. Her business expanded and became North Island Designs, employing as many as ten workers. They began marketing knitting kits and pattern books nationwide through 500 retail stores and 100,000 mail order catalogues. Through North Island Designs, Pingree authored and produced five knitting books between 1986 and 1992.

Pingree was first elected to the Maine Senate in 1992 at the age of 37. She was elected Maine's second female Senate Majority Leader on December 4, 1996.

During her tenure as a state legislator, Pingree has led several economic development initiatives including landmark legislation to enhance small business opportunities and keep businesses in Maine. She gained nationwide headlines when she authored the nation's first bill regulating prescription drug prices. She was forced to leave the Legislature in 2000 due to term limits.

Her daughter, Hannah Pingree, is a member of the Maine House of Representatives.