The Maine State Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce its endorsements of two candidates seeking election to the Maine Legislature:

• Shanna Cox (D-Lewiston) in the Democratic Primary for Senate District 21
• William St. Michel (R-Durham) in the Republican Primary for House District 98
  
  

As part of its 2026 election engagement efforts, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce distributed a candidate questionnaire to legislative candidates in selected primary races. The questionnaire focused on key issues affecting Maine's economy, including workforce, housing, energy, innovation, taxation, and the state's overall business climate.
The endorsements follow a review of candidate questionnaire responses, as well as consideration of each candidate’s personal experience and commitment to engaging with Maine’s business community.

Shanna Cox brings experience in economic and community development, as well as small business ownership, to her candidacy for the Maine State Senate. As a former president and CEO of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, she worked closely with employers across the district and developed an understanding of the challenges facing Maine businesses and communities.

William “Bill” St. Michel is a retired small business owner with a background in the trades and property management. He also dedicated 25 years to public service as Chief of the Durham Fire Department. Through his experience in business and public service, he understands how state policies, including regulatory and energy costs, affect Maine employers, employees, and families.

"The stakes are high for Maine’s economy, and the next Legislature will shape the underlying policies that facilitate or impede its economic growth in the years to come,” said Patrick Woodcock, President and CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. “It is critical that this state address our economic headwinds and confront energy affordability, housing availability, workforce development, and permitting and improve Maine's overall business climate. We believe these candidates are well positioned to support policies that will strengthen Maine's economy and create greater opportunities for Maine people and businesses, and we encourage our members and Maine voters to support these qualified candidates."

The Maine State Chamber of Commerce Board last year adopted a political engagement plan to make endorsements in state legislative races and engage through independent expenditures to support a Legislature that supports economic growth and economic opportunity.  As part of that effort, the Chamber, with partners, has established the “Mainers for Economic Opportunity PAC.” The Chamber, through the Mainers for Economic Opportunity PAC, has made these first endorsements with Shanna Cox and William St. Michel, and looks forward to continuing its work with legislators who are committed to fostering economic opportunity throughout the state.

About the Mainers for Economic Opportunity PAC
The Mainers for Economic Opportunity PAC was established to support candidates who demonstrate a commitment to policies that support growing Maine’s economy.

About the Maine State Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1889, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce is Maine’s largest business association, serving as The Voice of Maine Business on behalf of thousands of employers of all sizes and sectors across the state. The Maine State Chamber focuses on three pillars - Advocacy, Access, and Awareness - to advance a positive business climate and secure a strong state economy in which Maine businesses can compete and succeed. For more information, please visit www.mainechamber.org.

Report outlines long-term economic priorities and policy goals for Maine’s future

​SACO, Maine (Tuesday, May 12, 2026) – The Maine State Chamber of Commerce and Maine Development Foundation today released Maine Economic Vision 2035, a new long-term economic roadmap outlining key goals and policy priorities to strengthen Maine’s competitiveness, support workforce and wage growth, increase investment and productivity, and improve household affordability across the state.

Business leaders gathered Tuesday morning at the Saco Transportation Center to discuss the long-term economic conditions necessary to support growth, investment, workforce development, and affordability in Maine.

Attendees heard remarks from Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail and Alex MacPhail, executive director of the Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce and Industry, followed by a detailed discussion of the report’s findings and long-term economic priorities from Patrick Woodcock, president and CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce; Yellow Light Breen, president and CEO of Maine Development Foundation; and Heather Johnson, president and CEO of Waypoint Collaborative and former commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

Maine Economic Vision 2035 outlines goals in four interconnected areas critical to Maine’s long-term economic success:

1. Business competitiveness
2. Workforce and wages
3. Productivity, research, and private investment
4. Household affordability
   
   

The report is grounded in employer outreach, economic research, and stakeholder engagement from across the state. It highlights workforce shortages, housing affordability challenges, rising health care and energy costs, limited productivity growth, and increasing competition for talent and investment among the most significant challenges facing Maine’s economy.

Maine Economic Vision 2035 emphasizes the importance of long-term policy alignment and predictability in supporting economic growth and attracting private investment. It also highlights the connection between workforce development, housing affordability, innovation, and business competitiveness in supporting Maine’s long-term prosperity.

“Maine is rapidly returning to an era of under-performance of the national economy and it is time to focus on data-informed public policy to promote economic growth,” said Patrick Woodcock, president and CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. “Maine Economic Vision 2035 is intended not simply to identify issues, but to outline actionable steps to set Maine on a trajectory of long-term competitiveness, innovation, and opportunity.”

“This work is aspirational, ambitious, holistic, interconnected,” said Yellow Light Breen, president and CEO of Maine Development Foundation.  “The report reflects both the opportunities and challenges of a changing economy and offers recommendations to strengthen long-term economic competitiveness and quality of life in Maine.”

“Our findings tell us something really significant. Maine businesses want to be here, Maine investors want to be part of the Maine economy,” said Heather Johnson, president and CEO of Waypoint Collaborative and former commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. “It’s really time for us to build confidence and a willingness to build the right conditions for their success.”

Maine Economic Vision 2035 will also help frame discussion for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and NEWS CENTER Maine gubernatorial debates airing May 13 and 14, with questions focused on the economic challenges and opportunities identified in the report.
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The full Maine Economic Vision 2035 report and executive summary are available at https://maineeconomicvision2035.com/.

The Maine State Chamber of Commerce issued a statement today regarding the Governor's veto of LD 307

“The Maine State Chamber of Commerce appreciates the Governor’s decision to listen to the town of Jay and the community members who have voiced support for this economic development opportunity and to veto the proposed data center moratorium legislation.

For communities seeking investment, jobs, and renewed tax base growth, projects like this can represent meaningful opportunity.

While this veto allows this project to move forward, the Chamber welcomes the opportunity to work with the administration and Legislature on best practices for the development of data centers in Maine, including the management of peak energy demand, utilizing onsite energy generation, and maximizing benefits to all electric ratepayers.” 

AUGUSTA, Maine (April 10, 2026) – Absent a national policy, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce has consistently called for a balanced, uniform approach to data privacy—one that provides consumers with clear protections and input on how their data is used, while ensuring Maine employers remain competitive in an increasingly digital economy. Despite legislation brought forward that would have aligned Maine with seventeen other states’ data privacy laws, the Legislature instead advanced a far more restrictive bill--LD 1822: An Act to Enact the Maine Online Data Privacy Act—which would have made Maine an outlier by significantly limiting businesses’ ability to grow their customer base through cost-effective digital marketing, now a cornerstone of modern advertising.
 
In a rare and powerful show of unity, nearly 400 Maine businesses representing tourism, hospitality, retail, arts, and sports spoke out in opposition to LD 1822, raising concerns about the real-world impact the proposal would have on their operations and the broader economy. These businesses were joined by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, HospitalityMaine, Maine Tourism Association, Retail Association of Maine, and regional chambers across the state.
 
The Maine State Chamber of Commerce thanks the bipartisan group of legislators who listened to the employers and employees in their districts, took the time to understand how Maine businesses reach new customers, and ultimately stood with the business community in opposing LD 1822. Their decision protects the ability of businesses to innovate, grow, and compete—not just here in Maine, but in the global economy.
 
The Maine State Chamber remains committed to working with legislators and partners to advance a balanced data privacy law in the future.

The letter below was sent to the Maine State Legislature last evening as the House took up the supplemental budget bill. 

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine State Chamber of Commerce today joined business and community leaders at the State House to voice strong opposition to the supplemental budget proposal advanced by the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, warning it would undermine Maine’s economic competitiveness and long-term growth.

The proposal includes a $150 million income tax increase through a new 2% surtax on income over $1 million, which would raise Maine’s top marginal income tax rate to 9.15%—the highest in New England. Speakers emphasized that the proposal would have immediate and far-reaching impacts on Maine businesses, particularly small and family-owned companies that rely on pass-through income to reinvest, grow, and hire.
“This budget proposal represents a major step backwards for our state’s competitiveness,” said Patrick Woodcock, President and CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. “At a time when we should be focused on growing our economy, this proposal puts up barriers and sends the wrong signal to employers, investors, and people considering Maine as a place to live and work.”

Woodcock outlined several key concerns, including the proposed surtax, the use of $324 million from the state’s Budget Stabilization Fund, and policies that could discourage investment and economic growth. He noted that Maine’s economic trajectory is already uncertain, with recent data showing the state returning to average growth levels and at risk of falling further behind.

Brian Langley, former owner of Union River Lobster Pot, spoke to the real-world impact on small business owners, particularly those planning to transition or sell their businesses after decades of work.
“When a Maine business owner finally sells after 30 years of hard work, we shouldn’t punish that moment of success,” Langley said. “This new surcharge isn’t hitting Wall Street—it’s hitting the sale of local businesses that have kept people working for decades. Instead of supporting the next generation, we’re putting a tax speed bump at the point of takeoff.”

Langley warned that such policies could lead to fewer locally owned businesses and more sales to out-of-state buyers, reducing opportunities for Maine families and entrepreneurs.

Marty Grohman, former Maine legislator and former mayor of Biddeford, emphasized that the proposal could unintentionally impact small businesses structured as pass-through entities, including those owned by individuals or families.

“What you’re really doing… is taxing businesses that do a lot of volume and are maybe owned by just one or two people,” Grohman said. “We need to be careful not to undermine the economic growth that helps us address affordability challenges. The most sustainable way to support our communities is through growth and expanding opportunity across the state.”

Grohman noted that Maine families are already grappling with rising costs and that policies which discourage business growth risk making those challenges worse over time.

Quincy Hentzel, President and CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the broader implications for Maine’s business climate and workforce competitiveness.

“Employers consistently tell me that talent is their number one issue,” Hentzel said. “We’re competing with other states that are working to lower barriers and create a more welcoming environment for growth. Proposals like this send a signal… that Maine may be moving in the opposite direction.”

Hentzel added that businesses evaluate the full policy landscape when making decisions about where to invest and grow, and that increasing costs or complexity can make Maine less competitive.

Woodcock concluded by noting that Maine already ranks 44th in the nation for business competitiveness and warned that the proposal could further erode the state’s position.

“This is a crossroads for our state’s economy,” Woodcock said. “We urge the Legislature to reject this budget proposal, avoid policies that discourage investment, and instead focus on a pro-growth agenda that strengthens Maine’s competitiveness and signals that our state is open for business.”

The Maine State Chamber emphasized that there is still time for policymakers to pursue a forward-looking approach that supports economic growth, workforce development, and long-term prosperity for Maine businesses and communities.