Congratulations to Craig Hickman. Not only has Hickman recently been elected as a Senator to represent the state of Maine, but he’s also the first Black man to serve in both chambers.
As Maine Beacon reports, Democrat Hickman won a special election last week for Main’s Senate District 14. Hickman won the position with 5,248 votes or 62.5% of the total votes. He bested Republican William Guerrette who got 3,136 votes and 7.45% of the vote. The seat became empty after Democrat Shenna Bellows was appointed secretary of state.
For Hickman, this isn’t the first time that he’s made history. The Senator was previously the first openly gay Black man to sever in Maine’s House of Representatives.
“Growing up Black and gay and blue-collar in America, nobody ever said it was going to be easy. But my experiences have taught me the importance of protecting our communities and standing up for those in need,” said Hickman.
Hickman also noted that he is excited to get to work and is happy that voters want to get necessary work done to course-correct the state and country.
“When I first was elected I remember saying that the voters pretty much have proven that it doesn’t matter what you look (like) or who you love, or how you walk or talk,” he told CentralMaine. “It only matters what you do. I just live that all day, every day.”
But on what policies did Craig Hickman promise to support? Hickman stated his support of health care for all and the affordable care act, the fight against climate change, struggle for food sovereignty and the fight for struggling farms, and more. On that last note, as Face2FaceAfrica reports, Hickman is a farmer from Winthrop, Maine. As such, he has pushed for legalization supporting farmers and small businesses.
For the devoted representative, there has been no time to rest. Governor Janet Mills swore Hickman in just one day after his victory. In addition, the Maine Legislature recently met for the first time since December through a socially distanced meeting. Several bills were discussed, including a state tax exemption for pandemic loans and unemployment benefits. For state Senator Craig Hickman, serving the public so quickly is a perfect idea.
Source: Maine Beacon, Face2Face Africa, CentralMaine,
