Next year, voters in Maine will learn the last names of several of the candidates running to replace term-limited Gov. Janet Mills: Pingree, King and Bush.
These are surnames that have long been associated with politics, but with a twist. These are not the candidates most people think of. They are relatives of the candidate.
Former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree, Angus King III, and Jonathan Bush (daughter of Representative Cherry Pingree, son of Senator Angus King, and cousin of former President George W. Bush, respectively) all ran for governor, promising to be new voices for their respective parties.
Political bugs can affect multiple members of one family, regardless of party or office. It may skip states or even generations. But political dynasties have long been part of America’s political tradition.
And the namesake Poles love to see it.
“She has a wealth of experience, is a very hard worker, and is a true public servant in her own right, completely different from her mother,” Rep. Cherry Pingree told NOTUS of her daughter, who served in the state Legislature from 2002 to 2010.
“I think the public is going to be looking for someone who can fight back, someone who has experience in dealing with some of the very complex issues like Medicaid cuts, SNAP cuts, overall budgeting challenges,” he continued. “And that’s one of the places where I think Hannah has a lot of experience as a legislator.”
Indeed, with little prejudice, Sen. Angus King supported his son’s bid for governor of Maine.
“He’s a great guy. He’s a natural born Miner guy. He knows the issues very well. I think he has great management experience and he’ll be an excellent governor,” the senator said.
In neighboring New Hampshire, Stephanie Shaheen, the daughter of retired U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, is running for Congress. In Indiana, Beau Bay, the son of former Governor and Sen. Evan Bay, is running for secretary of state. And somewhere inside the Capitol, Arizona Rep. Adelita Grijalva is waiting for Republicans to swear her into the House of Representatives to replace her late father, Rep. Raul Grijalva.
Why do the new tier of candidates look so much like the old guard?
“It seems like a very coincidental coincidence,” said Rep. Cherry Pingree. “We’re getting closer to retirement, so our kids are the ones who have had time to gain experience, so in a way it’s timing.”
Professor Cassandra Goode of Marymount University said there were multiple factors at play when children of politicians entered the arena.
“Part of it is just the fact that they have name recognition, but the other part of it is that they have some kind of sociability and social capital because they grew up around political power, so they’re just used to it,” Good said. “I think it’s kind of natural that if you grow up surrounded by a certain field, you’re more likely to be passionate about it.”
Not always successful. Take, for example, the 2020 Massachusetts Senate primary, where Sen. Ed Markey successfully defended his seat from former Rep. Joe Kennedy III. While Markey reinvented himself to appeal to younger voters, Kennedy was bound by the legacy of his bloodline. According to the Cook Political Report, this was the first time Kennedy had lost an election in Massachusetts.
Returning to the Maine gubernatorial race, Mr. Bush and Mr. King III are political newcomers. Neither campaign responded to requests for comment, but at least one candidate acknowledged that she had struggled to build her reputation, saying her upbringing helped her enter politics.
“In many ways, I feel like I grew up in politics with my mother, watching her vote,” Hannah Pingree told NOTUS, adding that this election marks the third time she has voted with her mother. “In many ways, I feel like we’ve been in this together.”
The former state lawmaker said voters don’t think of her as just like her mother.
“They see me as a completely different politician. I’ve been in public service for the past 24 years, so in many ways I’m running entirely on my track record,” she told NOTUS. “I’m sure some of you know my mother well, and I’m sure there are many others who know me well.”
