1. John Elias Baldacci was born on January 30,1955 and is an American politician who served as the 73rd governor of Maine from 2003 to 2011.
29 Facts About John Baldacci
1. 2.
John Baldacci currently serves as vice chair of the board of the non-partisan Northeast-Midwest Institute, a Washington-based, private, nonprofit, and nonpartisan research organization dedicated to economic vitality, environmental quality, and regional equity for Northeast and Midwest states.
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John Baldacci was first elected to public office in 1978 at the age of 23, when he served on the Bangor City Council.
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John Baldacci continued in politics, winning election to the Maine Senate in 1982 from a Bangor-area district.
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John Baldacci was reelected two times, serving a total of 12 years.
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In 1994, following the retirement of his cousin, United States Senator George J Mitchell, Baldacci won election to the US House of Representatives from Maine's Second District, replacing Olympia Snowe, who had moved on to Mitchell's open Senate seat.
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John Baldacci defeated fellow state senator Rick Bennett in one of the few Democratic pickups of the 1994 cycle, taking 47 percent to Bennett's 41 percent.
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John Baldacci served on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Transportation Committee.
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John Baldacci was sworn in as Maine's governor on January 8,2003.
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In 2006, John Baldacci won re-election from a field of four major candidates.
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John Baldacci refused to raise broad-based taxes, honoring a campaign pledge.
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John Baldacci won approval for major initiatives including Dirigo Health, the Maine Community College System, and Pine Tree Development Zones.
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John Baldacci passed legislation that made it possible for credits and degrees from the community colleges to be transferable to the University of Maine system if student wished to pursue a four-year degree.
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John Baldacci is a supporter of regionalization, a sometimes contentious policy of merging local-government services to save money on administrative costs.
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John Baldacci ran for reelection in 2006, facing opposition from Republican Chandler Woodcock, Independents Barbara Merrill and Phillip Napier, and Green Independent Party candidate Pat LaMarche.
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John Baldacci increased Maine's competitiveness in the global economy; streamlined government services; attracted good jobs; and ensured that all Mainers have access to quality education, workforce training, and health care.
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In 2008 the recession hit forcing more consolidation efforts and John Baldacci never increased state income taxes.
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John Baldacci left office with a surplus and a rainy day fund.
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In 2007, John Baldacci announced a plan to send 125 Maine prisoners to the private Corrections Corporation of America called North Fork Correctional Facility in Sayre, Oklahoma, to ease crowding at the Maine State Prison in Warren.
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John Baldacci continued a major effort to promote alternative energies and energy independence for the state.
21.
John Baldacci's programs promoted wood pellets, which were manufactured in the state using Maine's vast forest lands, as well as wind, solar, biofuels and wave technologies.
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John Baldacci successfully created new standards and goals for the states Renewable Portfolio Standards.
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John Baldacci brought the region's leaders together for a special conference to coordinate and cooperate on regional energy efforts such as the infrastructure needed to carry the electricity to markets.
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In February 2008, John Baldacci hosted an official visit to Maine by Premier of New Brunswick, Shawn Graham, which was the first official visit to Maine by an incumbent head of a Canadian province.
25.
On May 6,2009, John Baldacci signed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in Maine.
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John Baldacci left office in 2011, and was succeeded by Republican Paul LePage.
27.
John Baldacci's brother, Joe, is a member of the Bangor City Council.
28.
John Baldacci is a first cousin once removed of former Maine senator and majority leader George J Mitchell and a second cousin of author David Baldacci.
29.
John Baldacci held a technician class amateur radio license with call sign KB1NXP, which expired in 2018.