Eloise Vitelli
Eloise Vitelli | |
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Majority Leader of the Maine Senate | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office February 1, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Nate Libby |
Member of the Maine Senate | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office December 7, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Mattie Daughtry |
Constituency | 24th district |
In office December 7, 2016 – December 7, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Linda Baker |
Succeeded by | Mattie Daughtry |
Constituency | 23rd district |
In office August 28, 2013 – December 2014 | |
Preceded by | Seth Goodall |
Succeeded by | Linda Baker |
Constituency | 23rd district |
Personal details | |
Born | 1949 (age 74–75) Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Bob Kalish |
Education | University of Pittsburgh (BA) University of Southern Maine (MS) |
Website | Official website |
Eloise A. Vitelli (born 1949) is the majority leader of the Maine Senate. She is a Democrat representing Senate District 24, which serves all of Sagadahoc County and the adjacent town of Dresden, Maine in Lincoln County. Vitelli was first elected to the Maine Senate in a 2013 special election, but lost her re-election bid in 2014. She was re-elected in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. Vitelli began working as an entrepreneurship trainer in the early 1980s and was the director of program and policy for New Ventures Maine for 38 years. She became the Assistant Senate Majority Leader in December 2020, and Majority Leader in February 2021.
Early life and education
Vitelli was born in 1949 in Trenton, New Jersey, the third of five children. Her father was a college professor and her mother was an art teacher. Vitelli grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania.[1][2][3] but the family also lived in Italy (where she met one of her loves, the singer Francesco Guccini) and India when Vitelli was a child.[4]
Vitelli has also studied and traveled in Europe, Asia and Africa.[4] She received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971 and a Master of Science in education counseling from the University of Southern Maine in 1979.[5][6]
In the early 1970s, both Vitelli and her parents moved to midcoast Maine to be near friends who lived in Damariscotta. Vitelli lived in Newcastle and Phippsburg before settling in Arrowsic with her husband in 1978.[4][3] She worked as an early childhood Head Start teacher in Waldoboro, Nobleboro, and Brunswick.[1][3]
Vitelli began working in entrepreneurship training in 1983, focusing on projects and organizations that developed women entrepreneurs. In 2018, she retired after 38 years as the director of program and policy for Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community, now called New Ventures Maine.[4][7]
Maine Senate
Vitelli was first elected to the Maine Senate in an August 2013 special election after Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall resigned to accept a presidential appointment overseeing the New England region of the Small Business Administration.[8][9] Vitelli won the three-way race with 50.5% of the vote.[10]
In 2014, Vitelli ran for re-election but was defeated by Republican Linda Baker.[11]
In November 2016, Vitelli ran for the Senate again and beat Republican Guy Lebida with 52.9% of the vote.[12][13] She defeated Republican Richard Donaldson in 2018 and Republican Holly Kopp in 2020.[13] Vitelli was selected to be the Assistant Senate Majority Leader in December 2020, and in February 2021, when majority leader Nate Libby stepped down from the leadership position, Vitelli was named majority leader.[14][1] She was re-elected Senate Majority Leader following the November 2022 elections.[15] Vitelli serves on the Government Oversight and the Energy, Utilities & Technology committees.[16]
Personal life
Vitelli and her husband, journalist Bob Kalish, have two adult sons, Sam and Will.[17][3] Vitelli enjoys gardening, reading, camping and hiking, and has climbed Mount Katahdin 10 times.[18][2] The Italian singer-songwriter Francesco Guccini dedicated a song to her, "100 Pennsylvania avenue", in memory of the relationship they had when she was studying in Bologna. [19]
Awards & honors
- 1986 co-recipient, Women's Business Advocate of the Year award, Maine Small Business Administration
- 1995 inductee into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame
- 1997 Women's Business Advocate of the Year
- 2006 McGillicuddy Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, Maine Small Business Administration[14][17][4][14]
Electoral record
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 4,631 | 50.6% | |
Republican | Paula Benoit | 4,169 | 45.5% | |
Green | Daniel Stromgren | 357 | 3.9% | |
Total votes | 9,157 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 100.0% | ||
Total votes | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Linda Baker | 8,916 | 46.8% | |
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 7,880 | 41.4% | |
Green | Alice Knapp | 2,243 | 11.8% | |
Total votes | 19,039 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 100.0% | ||
Total votes | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 12,038 | 52.9% | |
Republican | Guy Lebida | 10,712 | 47.1% | |
Total votes | 22,750 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 4,334 | 100.0% | |
Total votes | 4,334 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 11,580 | 57.7% | |
Republican | Richard Donaldson | 8,490 | 42.3% | |
Total votes | 20,070 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 5,621 | 100% | |
Total votes | 5,621 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 13,810 | 55.8% | |
Republican | Holly Kopp | 10,922 | 44.2% | |
Total votes | 24,732 | 100.0%[13] |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli | 2,078 | 100% | |
Total votes | 5,621 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Eloise Vitelli (incumbent) | 12,558 | 58% | |
Republican | Matthew Brackley | 9,016 | 42% | |
Total votes | 21,574 | 100% |
Notes
- ^ Following the 2020 United States census, legislative districts in Maine were re-drawn. Vitelli's district number switched from 23 to 24.
References
- ^ a b c "About Eloise". Sen. Eloise Vitelli. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ a b Houk, Evan (7 September 2020). "Arrowsic Senator Seeks Reelection". The Lincoln County News. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d Violo, Alexander (1 November 2018). "Arrowsic Senator Focuses on Education, Health Care in Re-Election Bid". The Lincoln County News. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Eloise A. Vitelli". Maine Women's Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
- ^ "Eloise A Vitelli, Democrat". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ "Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli". Maine Senate Democrats. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "Celebrating Eloise Vitelli & Our New Enterprise Fund". New Ventures Maine. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Crosby, Craig (15 October 2014). "Three square off in Maine Senate District 23". Centralmaine.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Richardson, Whit (4 June 2013). "Seth Goodall resigning his Senate seat to take SBA post". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ Brogan, Beth (27 August 2013). "Democrat Eloise Vitelli bests Republican Paula Benoit to claim Bath-area Senate 19 seat". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ Lear, Alex; Forecaster, The. "Republican Baker unseats incumbent Vitelli for Bath-area Senate seat". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
- ^ "Maine 23rd District State Senate Results: Eloise Vitelli Wins". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Eloise Vitelli". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Vitelli named Maine Senate Majority Leader". Portland Press Herald/The Forecaster. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Billings, Randy. "Republicans in Maine Legislature shake up leadership after disappointing election". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ "Sen. Eloise Vitelli (D - Sagadahoc)". Maine State Legislature. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Vitelli to run for Sagadahoc senate seat". The New Maine Times. 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ "Eloise A Vitelli, Maine Senate 23". Portland Press Herald/Times Record. 26 September 2020. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ "Io e Guccini, un amore americano: "Con lui imparai il Tressette. E per noi era il professore che ci faceva conoscere la cultura italiana" (A - Simoni)". Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
External links
- Maine Senate Democrats: Eloise Vitelli
- Senator Eloise Vitelli on Facebook
- Eloise Vitelli's campaign website
Maine Senate | ||
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Preceded by | Majority Leader of the Maine Senate 2021–present | Incumbent |
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- Janet Mills, Governor
- Shenna Bellows, Secretary of State (elected by Legislature)
- Aaron Frey, Attorney General (elected by Legislature)
- Henry Beck, Treasurer (elected by Legislature)
- Matthew Dunlap, Auditor (elected by Legislature)
- Troy Jackson, President
- Eloise Vitelli, Majority Leader
- Trey Stewart, Minority Leader
- Rachel Talbot Ross, Speaker
- Maureen Terry, Majority Leader
- Billy Bob Faulkingham, Minority Leader
- Valerie Stanfill, Chief Justice
- Andrew Mead
- Andrew M. Horton
- Catherine Connors
- Rick E. Lawrence
- Wayne R. Douglas
- 1 seat vacant, Associate Justices