By Terra Morrison, Age 14
Shenna Bellows is Maine’s current Secretary of State and a former Democratic candidate for Maine’s 2026 gubernatorial election. Bellows made news recently when she briefly ran for the Democratic nomination for Senate in June 2026, but decided instead to focus on her current role and support Democrat Troy Jackson in his bid to replace Republican senator Susan Collins in this year’s midterm elections.
In August 2025, I conducted an interview with Secretary Bellows to discover more about her, her beliefs, and what shaped her into the history-making politician she is today.
Bellows grew up in a Maine town called Hancock. Her home lacked running water and electricity until she was 10-years-old, and her family was constantly working to make ends meet. Bellows said, “Growing up poor in rural Maine shaped my passion for economic opportunity, justice for all, and protecting the environment.” As a young person, she said, she felt like there was nothing she couldn’t do, and she recalled saying that one day she wanted to become the governor of Maine.
Bellows also talked about her mother, who worked multiple jobs, as a key role model in shaping her beliefs and values. In her late 40s, Bellows’ mother went back to college and earned her degree in nursing. She would always stand up for what was right, and gave back to her community despite the challenges in her life, reported Bellows. Bellows said that she works every day to model herself based on these values.
Bellows graduated from Ellsworth High School and received a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in Vermont. Before stepping into politics, Bellows worked in the nonprofit sector. She was a leader in Maine’s marriage equality campaign, which took seven years to win, when gay marriage was legalized in the state in 2012. Her work with this campaign eventually led her to run for the U.S. Senate in 2014, but she lost to Republican Susan Collins. The experience opened her eyes about the impact she could have if she entered politics, she told me. Two years later, in 2016, her state Senate seat opened up. She decided to run and won. This put her on the path to becoming Maine’s first ever female Secretary of State.
In March of 2026 Bellows shared her “New Deal for Maine,” which, according to The Maine Beacon, is an “economic agenda aimed at lowering costs for residents by cutting utility bills, expanding housing and reshaping the state’s tax structure.” Much of her policy revolves around housing initiatives, universal healthcare coverage, tax restructuring, and utility reform.
Bellows discussed how drastically the landscape has changed for women in politics in Maine in recent years. Maine’s current administration has seen many firsts — along with Bellows’ position as the first female Secretary of State, Maine also has its first female governor, Janet Mills. Bellows hopes that the coming decades will mark the “end of the firsts.” She hopes that women running for, and winning office becomes ordinary, and no longer newsworthy.
Despite these achievements, Bellows believes that barriers still exist for women in Maine politics, and although sexism is not as blatant, it is apparent. Bellows talked about what it is like to be underestimated, and how it can be used as an advantage, but also how detrimental it truly is to not be taken seriously. “Representation matters,” said Bellows. “Women bring the lived experience of overcoming sexism to their leadership in public office,” Bellows said. “At its best, that makes some women leaders eager to help other women and girls succeed.” She said that women in government can also bring forward and prioritize important issues like equal pay, paid time off, access to childcare, and women’s health.
Bellows also had advice to any young people interested in stepping into politics. She says that it’s normal to be scared or to have doubts and to not let that hold you back. “My number one piece of advice is to believe in your values and your convictions, and lead with courage to overcome any fears or doubts you might have, to do good in the world,” she said.
