Pingree, Chellie, 1955-

Chellie Marie Pingree (née Johnson; born April 2, 1955) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served as the U.S. Representative for Maine's 1st congressional district since 2009.

Born Rochelle Marie Johnson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, her family moved to Maine when she was a teenager; she attended the University of Southern Maine before earning her B.A. from the College of the Atlantic in 1979. 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 North Haven. Her business expanded and became North Island Designs. Through North Island Designs, Pingree authored and produced five knitting books between 1986 and 1992. In 1992, Pingree was elected to the Maine Senate representing Knox County. In 1996, Chellie was chosen by her peers to be the Maine Senate Majority Leader. After being term-limited from the Maine Senate in 2000, Pingree unsuccessfully challenged incumbent U.S. Senator Susan Collins in 2002. From 2003 to 2007, Pingree served as the National President and CEO of Common Cause, a non-partisan citizen activist group with nearly 300,000 members and 35 state chapters.

In 2008, Pingree was elected to Congress from Maine’s 1st Congressional District—the first woman elected to Congress from that District. Pingree consistently receives high approval ratings from labor, pro-choice, and environmental interest groups. She has been an advocate in Congress for reforming federal policy to better support the diverse range of American agriculture—including sustainable, organic, and locally focused farming—as well as to reduce food waste. Many provisions from comprehensive legislation she introduced to make these reforms were passed in both the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills. She received a 2017 James Beard Leadership Award for her national leadership in food system reform. Pingree has also been recognized for her leadership on a number of other issues, including assisting survivors of military sexual trauma, strengthening the creative and arts economy, and helping coastal communities address threats to their future.