Sen. Duson applauds the confirmation of the Hon. Heather Sanborn, Esq. of Portland as Maine’s new Public Advocate

Posted: January 28, 2025 | Energy, Utilities and Technology, Senator Duson

AUGUSTA — On Tuesday, the Maine Senate confirmed the Hon. Heather Sanborn, Esq. of Portland, to be Maine’s next Public Advocate. Sanborn’s nomination was announced by Gov. Janet Mills on December 5, 2024.

 
From left to right: Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, Public Advocate Heather Sanborn, Senate Majority Leader Teresa S. Pierce, D-Falmouth, and Senate Assistant Majority Leader Jill C. Duson, D-Portland, in the Senate Chamber following the Senate’s confirmation vote.

“I was proud to vote to confirm Ms. Sanborn to her role as Maine’s next public advocate,” said Sen. Duson. “Heather is a constituent and a North Deering neighbor. Her experience as an attorney, serving in the Legislature and as a commercial and residential ratepayer allows her a nuanced view as Maine’s next Public Advocate. I am grateful for her willingness to serve and look forward to bringing greater transparency and accountability to ratepayers in collaboration with our work here in the Legislature.”

The Office of the Public Advocate’s primary responsibility is to represent the interests of Maine utility consumers, primarily in proceedings before the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and in cases before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Sanborn graduated from the University of Maine School of Law in 2007. In 2010, Sanborn co-founded Rising Tide Brewing Company in Portland, with her husband Nathan, and served as Director of Business Operations before selling the business in late 2024. She served in the Maine House of Representatives in the 128th Legislature and in the Maine State Senate in the 129th and 130th Legislatures.

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