Senator Mike Tipping is running for re-election in the Maine State Senate. He represents Penobscot County, which is District eight. The upcoming Nov. 5 ballot includes five referendum questions and nine candidate races, one being presidential. This year, Tipping is up for majority leader in the Senate, which would make him Chief Representative of the Maine Democratic Party. Approximately 10,000 students attend the University of Maine in Orono. Most of them are registered to vote in District eight.
Tipping became involved in politics in college, as Chair of the Alliance of Nova Scotia Student Associations in Canada. According to Tipping, his earliest professional work involved higher education advocacy and the needs of students. He worked with UMaine students throughout his first term on projects such as waiving tuition (LD 512), and getting students elected on the Board of Trustees (BoT).
LD 1656, “An Act to Allow Student Representation within the Governance of the University of Maine System,” was introduced by Tipping and enacted by the Senate in 2023. Currently, students pay the majority of UMS expenses due to tuition increases and state funding decreases. According to Tipping, “They really deserve that voice [on the BoT].”
“I have not passed anything on my own. It’s been great just to work with so many people. It’s great to work very closely with student government and Keegan Tripp, and other advocates and activists on campus on a lot of these things too,” said Tipping.
Tipping emphasized that local politics affect the lives of U.S. citizens in multiple ways, as important decisions are also made at the state level specifically.
“We’ve certainly seen — since the repeal of Roe v. Wade — that some of our fundamental rights are now state by state. It is incredibly important who we elect to the legislature. Also, a lot of the biggest efforts to address climate change happened at the state level, and that needs to happen at every level very quickly.” said Tipping.
Local campaigning is often impacted by the presidential election. Tipping canvassed in the county two years ago, when running for his first term. He believes there is often a higher turnout at the polls in presidential election years, particularly among younger voters.
“It can be a bit harder to get your message out. It’s a little more lost in the conversation about the presidency and national races,” said Tipping.
According to Tipping, his team focused on speaking with members of the community individually. As a serving senator, frequent interaction with residents continues post-election season. Tipping has held telephone town hall meetings and casual meal events where county residents are invited to discuss what matters to them.
Throughout his first term, Tipping passed over a dozen bills that went into law. Bills that he is particularly proud of include LD 1656, laws around utility and electricity rates and preventing Mainers from being charged interest or fees, or being taken to court over medical debt.
“We’re facing a lot of challenges [in Maine]. I think one big one is that we have the oldest population in the country of any state now, and we don’t have the infrastructure to care for elder folks. We also have housing issues that we really need to address,” said Tipping.
Tipping believes himself to be the best candidate because he has experience in the role, a record of accomplishments and has shown his values. He chaired the labor committee over the last two years and passed bills on basic workers’ rights, including paid family medical leave.
Tipping left a final message for UMaine.
“I grew up here. Both my parents worked on campus. It’s been wonderful to work with members of the University community, and students in particular, on so many issues over the last two years. I’m deeply grateful for that opportunity. I think we’ve made some real progress, and I’d like to keep that work going.”
