Joe Baldacci

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Joe Baldacci
Member of the Maine Senate
from the 9th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 2, 2020
Preceded byGeoffrey Gratwick
Personal details
Born (1965-02-21) February 21, 1965
Bangor, Maine, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseElizabeth Baldacci
Children2
RelativesJohn Baldacci (brother)
EducationUniversity of Maine (BA, JD)

Joseph Baldacci (born February 21, 1965) is an American attorney and Democratic politician from Maine. Baldacci serves in the Maine Senate representing District 9, serving Bangor and Hermon. Baldacci first served on the Bangor City Council beginning in 1996, serving 12 years in total on the council, including two terms as chair/mayor, before being elected to the Maine Senate in 2020. He also made a brief run for Maine's 2nd congressional district seat in 2016 but dropped out before the Democratic primary. In 2026, Baldacci was again a candidate in the Democratic primary for Maine's 2nd Congressional District 2026 election. Throughout the primary season, Baldacci was leading in most polls and, in May, he was endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.[1][2] At the time, some pundits argued the early endorsement might backfire,[3] and some local Democrats complained about what some considered interference from the national party.[4][5]

In June 9th's primary, Baldacci won a plurality of the four-way race and 31.6% of the vote. However, Maine is one of two states (the other being Alaska) that uses ranked-choice voting and so the initial primary results were not determinative as no candidate received more than 50% of the vote.[6] Ultimately, in the second round of ranked voting, Baldacci finished second to Maine state auditor Matt Dunlap.[7]

Early life and education

Baldacci was born in Bangor and grew up there, working in his family's restaurant, Momma Baldacci's, with his seven siblings. His father served on the Bangor City Council.[8] Baldacci attended the University of Maine and graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, continuing to the University of Maine School of Law, where he completed his Juris Doctor in 1991. While at Maine Law, Baldacci co-founded the Maine Association for Public Interest Law (MAPIL) to help provide scholarships for law students pursuing public interest law opportunities, an organization that is still granting scholarships today.[9]

Law career and political office

Baldacci was elected to the Maine Senate in 2020.

Following law school, Baldacci returned to Bangor and started a law practice.[9] He was first elected to the Bangor City Council in 1996 and re-elected in 1999, also serving a term as City Council chairman and Mayor — in Bangor, these two titles belong to one position — and remaining on the council until 2002.[8][9][10]

Baldacci was elected to the City Council again in 2011 in a race that also unseated two incumbents,[11] and was re-elected in 2014.

In July 2015, Baldacci announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination for Maine's 2nd congressional district, challenging incumbent Republican Bruce Poliquin. He dropped out in February 2016 and endorsed fellow Democrat Emily Cain for the nomination.[12][13][14] Baldacci was again elected City Council chairman and mayor of Bangor in November 2016.[10]

In a 2021 interview, Baldacci recalls deciding during his final term as City Councilor that he would run for the Maine Senate. He explained that his experiences navigating and becoming familiar with local policies over his 12 years on the council had helped him feel prepared for the position, and that his daughters were in college by then, making the increased time commitment more feasible for his family.[15]

In 2020, Baldacci ran for the Maine Senate District 9 seat vacated by term-limited incumbent Geoffrey Gratwick. In the Democratic primary, he defeated Victoria Kornfield 53%–47%, and in the November general election he received 55% of the vote in the three-way race with Republican Sean Hinkley and independent Kristie Miner.[16][17] Since his 2020 term began, Baldacci has served on the Health and Human Services committee and is the chair of State and Local Government committee.[15] Baldacci was reelected in 2022, with 59% of the vote, and again in 2024 with 58% of the vote.

On January 12, 2026, Baldacci announced his candidacy for Maine's 2nd congressional district after incumbent Democrat Jared Golden announced his decision not to run for a fifth term.[18] Ultimately, in the second round of ranked voting, Baldacci finished second to Maine state auditor Matt Dunlap.[7]

Personal life

Baldacci lives in Bangor with his wife, Elizabeth, who is also an attorney. The couple has two adult daughters.[12] Baldacci and his brother John Baldacci, a former U.S. Congressman and governor, frequently hold spaghetti dinners to support local needs and causes.[19][20][21]

Electoral record

2020 Maine Senate District 9 Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joe Baldacci 2,065 52.8%
Democratic Victoria Kornfield 1,847 47.2%
Total votes 3,912 100.0%
2020 Maine Senate District 9 general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joe Baldacci 10,960 55.0%
Republican Sean Hinkley 6,706 33.7%
Independent Kristie Miner 2,248 11.3%
Total votes 19,914 100.0%[16]
Maine Senate District 9 general election, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joe Baldacci (incumbent) 9,070 59%
Republican Suzette Furrow 6,265 41%
Total votes 15,335 100%
2024 Maine Senate election, 9th District
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joe Baldacci (Incumbent) 11,601 58.60
Republican Sean Paul Hinkley 8,196 41.40
Total votes 19,797 100.00
Democratic hold

References

  1. Miller, Kevin (May 4, 2026). "Joe Baldacci wins backing of national Democratic committee in 2nd District primary". Maine Public.
  2. "WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Joe Baldacci is "The Right Candidate to Beat Paul LePage"". June 8, 2026.
  3. "National Democratic backing may be Joe Baldacci's undoing | Steve Collins". The Portland Press Herald. May 7, 2026.
  4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/05/06/betrayal-democrats-fume-establishment-wading-into-primaries/
  5. Hurowitz, Noah (May 7, 2026). "Maine Dems to Vote on Condemning DCCC Interference in House Primary".
  6. Miller, Kevin (June 10, 2026). "2nd District Democratic primary seems bound for ranked-choice runoff in tight race". Maine Public.
  7. Solender, Andrew (June 19, 2026). "House Democrats suffer 2nd crushing primary loss as party's pick falls short in Maine". Axios.
  8. "About Joe". Bangor City Councilor Joe Baldacci. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. "Senate District 9: Joe Baldacci". Maine Senate Democrats. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. Sambides Jr., Nick (November 14, 2016). "Baldacci named Bangor mayor, wants city to be welcoming to immigrants". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. McCrea, Nick (November 8, 2011). "Challengers oust incumbents on Bangor City Council". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. "Joseph Baldacci, '87". The University of Maine. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  13. Field, Jay (July 30, 2015). "Joe Baldacci Announces Run for US House". Maine Public. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  14. Charns, David (February 5, 2016). "Baldacci drops out of race for Maine's 2nd Congressional District". WMTW. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. Justin Soderberg (February 10, 2021). "Ep. 37: Joe Baldacci - Maine State Senate". Themainestateofmind.com (Podcast). Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  16. "Joe Baldacci". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. Andrews, Caitlin (July 15, 2020). "Joe Baldacci narrowly wins Democratic primary for Bangor-area Maine Senate seat". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. "State Sen. Joe Baldacci enters race for Maine's 2nd Congressional District". newscentermaine.com. January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  19. du Houx, Ramona (November 10, 2013). "Councilor Joe Baldacci's spaghetti dinner and other fundraising activities raise $12,000 to save the Oldin bus route". Maine Insights. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. Hanstein, Bobby (February 17, 2016). "Baldacci brothers hosting spaghetti benefit for displaced mill workers on Saturday". The Daily Bulldog. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  21. "Raising the minimum wage, one plate of spaghetti at a time". Maine Beacon. May 13, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)