In 2004, Gideon moved to Freeport, Maine.[12] In October 2009, she won a seat on the Freeport Town Council.[13] She served until 2012, and was the council's vice chair beginning in 2011.[9]
Gideon was a member of the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. According to India Abroad, "she worked to lower energy costs, encourage increased energy efficiency and promote clean and renewable energy to capitalize on Maine's natural resources and build a clean-energy economy."[5]
In 2019, Gideon faced an election ethics complaint for accepting reimbursements for her personal political donations from her own PAC.[21] A spokesperson said, "The contributions were within the legal limit and fully disclosed, but the committee was given incorrect guidance on how to process them."[21] The campaign said that it had reimbursed the federal government $3,250 for the violations and closed the PAC.[22] In October 2019, the Maine Ethics Commission voted unanimously to fine the closed PAC $500.[22]
On June 24, 2019, Gideon announced her candidacy in the 2020 Senate election to challenge incumbent Republican Susan Collins.[23] In the first week of her campaign, she raised more than $1 million.[24] Gideon ran against Betsy Sweet and Bre Kidman in the ranked-choice Democratic primary election.[18] In the primary, Gideon received support from the mainstream of the Democratic Party, while Sweet and Kidman drew support from the party's insurgent progressive wing.[18] Before the July 14 primary, Gideon was endorsed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee[25][26] as well as labor unions and women's groups.[18] Gideon led in primary election polling,[18] and won the primary with roughly 70% of the vote.[26][27] By the time of the primary election, she had raised $23 million.[27]
In 2019, the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund endorsed Gideon.[28] Following her Democratic primary win in June, Gideon received endorsements from NARAL, EMILY's List, Progressive Democrats of America, Brand New Congress, and Our Revolution.[29] In August, former President Barack Obama endorsed Gideon.[30] In 2020, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the country's largest LGBTQ rights advocacy organization, opposed the reelection of Susan Collins and instead endorsed Gideon. It is the first time that the HRC has opposed Collins, who has been seen as a key Republican vote on LGBTQ rights.[31]
Gideon states that she has made affordable drugs and health care her primary campaign issues. She supports the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"). She also supports a public health insurance option,[18] which would allow Americans to buy into Medicare while also retaining a private health insurance market.[33][34] She supports allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs, and a prohibition on pharmaceutical company "pay to delay" agreements.[18]
Gideon married attorney Benjamin Rogoff Gideon, in November 2001.[6] Ben Gideon is a medical malpractice and personal injury attorney at Gideon Asen LLC.[39]
Electoral history
2012
Maine House of Representatives District 106, 2012 Democratic Primary[40]
^Albair, Rebecca (November 13, 2014). "Representative to the Legislature"(XLSX). Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
^Packard, Melissa (November 18, 2016). "Representative to the Legislature"(XLSX). Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
^Lajoie, Louisa (November 30, 2018). "State Representative"(XLSX). Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
