Baldacci, John E. (John Elias), 1955-

BALDACCI, John Elias, a Representative from Maine; born in Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine, January 30, 1955; graduated from Bangor High School, Bangor, Maine, 1973; B.A., University of Maine, Orono, 1986; member of Bangor, Maine, city council, 1978-1981; member of the Maine state senate, 1982-1994; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fourth and to the three succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1995-January 3, 2003); not a candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Eighth Congress in 2002; Governor of Maine, 2003 to 2011.

<p>John Elias Baldacci was reelected Governor of the State of Maine in November 2006 for a second term. In his first term, Governor Baldacci made the health, education, and well-being of Mainers his top priorities, and he drew on his strong sense of community spirit to serve the people of Maine. In his second term he focused on private sector job growth, growing personal income, and property tax relief.</p>

<p>Governor Baldacci was born and raised in Bangor, Maine. One of eight children, Baldacci learned the value of communication and cooperation at a young age. As he grew up in his family's Bangor restaurant, Momma Baldacci's, Baldacci was surrounded by civic-minded family and community members who instilled in him an intense work ethic and an equally intense desire to serve the people of his state. While working at the family restaurant, Baldacci earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Maine, where he continued to learn about the opportunities and challenges that faced the people in his communities.</p>

<p>At twenty-three-years-old, Baldacci served as a member of the Bangor City Council, his first elected position. While serving on the Council, Baldacci solidified his commitment to the people of Bangor and looked forward to applying his unique perspective and work ethic as a leader for all Mainers. In 1982, Baldacci was elected to the Maine State Senate, where he served for twelve years, before being elected to the United States House of Representatives for Maine's Second District in 1994.</p>

<p>John Elias Baldacci (born January 30, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of Maine from 2003 to 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.</p>

<p>During his tenure as governor, Baldacci initiated reforms in the areas of health care, energy development, administrative reform and efficiency, public education, and led significant efforts to expand investment in workforce training and development. During his four terms in the U.S. Congress, he served on the Agriculture Committee and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of the non-partisan Northeast-Midwest Institute, a Washington-based, private, nonprofit, and nonpartisan research organization dedicated to economic vitality, environmental quality, and regional equity for Northeast and Midwest states.</p>

<p>Born in Bangor, Maine, Baldacci grew up with seven siblings in an Italian-Lebanese family. As a child, he worked in the family business, Mama Baldacci's restaurant in Bangor. A 1973 graduate of Bangor High School, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Maine at Orono in 1986.</p>