Sen. Rafferty sworn into Maine Senate

Earlier today, Sen. Joe Rafferty, D-Kennebunk, was sworn into the Maine Senate. Sen. Rafferty was elected to his first term in the Senate in November.

Hon. Andrew M. Mead, Acting Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Court, administered the oath of office to Sen. Rafferty and 31 of his Senate colleagues, all of whom have been elected to serve two-year terms. He represents the residents of Senate District 34, which includes Acton, Kennebunk, Lebanon, North Berwick, Wells, and part of Berwick.

“I am honored and humbled by the responsibility that voters have entrusted me with,” said Sen. Rafferty. “Mainers are facing tough times and unprecedented challenges, and I’m eager to get to work making sure our families and communities come out of this pandemic stronger than ever.”

Sen. Rafferty – known locally as Coach Raff – is a longtime teacher, Kennebunk High School Football Coach, and teacher’s union negotiator. While retired from teaching, he continues to coach and work in the school district as a substitute teacher and bus driver. Sen. Rafferty and his wife and fellow educator, Norma, live in Kennebunk. Together they raised three daughters, each a graduate of Kennebunk High School.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the swearing-in ceremony was held at the Augusta Civic Center to allow for greater physical distancing. A live stream of the event was made available to the general public, and can be viewed online at http://legislature.maine.gov/senate/.

Of the 34 members of the Maine Senate, there are 21 Democrats and 13 Republicans. Thirteen are women and 21 are men. There are 10 new members: Five have recently served in the House of Representatives and the other five have no previous legislative experience. Twenty-four members are incumbents. The Legislature will reconvene at the start of the new year. Learn more about Sen. Rafferty at www.mainesenate.org.