Chellie Pingree never anticipated a life in politics. Living on the offshore island of North Haven, Maine, she raised her kids and ran a small business. She served on the school board and as the local tax assessor, a job no one else in town wanted. But in 1991, when she was approached about running for State Senate, she jumped at the chance.
She scored a remarkable upset, defeating a popular Republican, and went on to serve four terms in the Maine Senate. But throughout her political career, from Augusta to Washington and beyond, the lessons she learned on North Haven have always been her guide: Be accountable to your neighbors, and always use your common sense.
With the number of cases rising steadily in recent years, Lyme disease is a growing problem in Maine and other states. As a member of the bipartisan House Lyme Disease Caucus, I'm working to educate Members of Congress about Lyme disease and to help ensure support for programs dedicated to prevention and effective treatments. I'm working to make sure we're doing everything we can to confront it on the federal level, but we all need to take steps to limit our risk.