It’s no surprise that Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D-New Haven) became involved in politics. Her mother, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), who represents Maine’s 1st congressional district, was at one time the state’s Senate Majority Leader. The family political tradition doesn’t stop at getting elected. It also involves how you get elected in Maine. Speaker Pingree was able to carve her own path in part due to the election structure that was passed by referendum during her mother’s tenure in the state Senate.   Maine was the first state to pass a Clean Elections law in 1996 and it was implemented while Rep. Chellie Pingree was Maine’s Senate Majority Leader. And by the time Hannah Pingree ran for the Maine House in 2002 at the age of 26, it had become the norm for voters. “[They] were used to it,” Pingree said. It had become unusual for candidates to not use the system and she discovered that there was “pride in the system” for Mainers. “Clean Elections bred a new trust in public servants,” she said. And she felt that that same trust carried over to those who used the system as candidates. Pingree has run all four times as a Clean Elections candidate, but her campaign experience goes beyond using the successful Maine model.   In her first race in 2002, Speaker Pingree had the unique experience of simultaneously running for office in Maine’s Clean Elections system, while at the same time working for her mothers run for U.S. Senate. The difference was stark.  “The sheer amount of time and energy spent fundraising was the biggest difference,” she said. Having witnessed first hand the long hours of dialing for dollars in the U.S. Senate campaign, Pingree grew to appreciate Maine’s system even more. “The process is easy,” she said, “and I found that supporters were eager to get involved and help me qualify.” Clean Elections has become part of the campaign culture in Maine and has also had a huge impact in policy decisions. Speaker Pingree, a champion of environmental and health issues, has seen a significant difference in the legislative process as well. A bill that banned certain toxic chemicals was finally passed under her leadership, and she attributes much of that success to the Clean Elections system. “The chemical companies that opposed the legislation poured tons of money in, running TV ads, etc., but the difference was they weren’t giving that money to lawmakers, and so we weren’t affected by that kind of influence when it came time to vote.” At age 32, Pingree is the youngest women to ever hold the Speaker position in Maine. And the trend of young people getting involved in elective politics is no fluke. Nine state legislators under the age of 30 were elected in 2008 alone, and all of them ran using the Clean Elections system. “I think young people really like the system, and it has made it more attractive to run…there are far more legislators under 40 than we’ve ever had before,” Pingree said. She’s also found that women have a harder time running for office. “They usually have more reasons not to…like taking care of their families.” With the large numbers of women in the legislature today, it's clear the system has had an effect.  As a party leader, Pingree encourages all of her caucus members to run “Clean.” “We provide tips for how to qualify and council them on how to run clean,” said the Speaker. And she recommends the system to other states' lawmakers as well. “[Their] life will be easier…[they] can meet constituents and not spend so much time raising money…it’s a great way affirm the trust that your citizens have in you,” she said.  Speaker Pingree is currently leading the House in the 124th Maine legislature. She is serving in her final term in the House and figures to remain a player in Maine politics for a long time.