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Heather Sanborn

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heather Sanborn
Member of the Maine Senate
from the 28th district
In office
December 2018 – December 7, 2022
Preceded byMark Dion
Succeeded byJill Duson
Member of the Maine House of Representatives
from the 43rd district
In office
2016–2018
Preceded byMark Dion
Succeeded byW. Edward Crockett
Personal details
PartyDemocratic
SpouseNathan Sanborn
Children1
Alma materMiddlebury College (BA)
University of Southern Maine (MS)
University of Maine School of Law (JD)
ProfessionTeacher
Attorney
Business director
Websiteheathersanborn.mainecandidate.com

Heather B. Sanborn is an American politician, attorney, and businesswoman, serving as the Maine Public Advocate since 2025. She previously was a member of the Maine House of Representatives from 2016 to 2018, and a member of the Maine Senate from 2018 to 2022, representing District 28 (portions of the cities of Portland and Westbrook). She is a member of the Democratic Party.

She previously worked as an attorney for the law firms Ropes & Gray and Brann & Isaacson. Sanborn and her husband founded Rising Tide Brewery, where she served as director of business operations from its founding in 2010 until 2024, when they sold the brewery.

Early life and education

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Sanborn grew up in Portland, Maine.[1] She attended Middlebury College, from which she graduated summa cum laude as the salutatorian of her class in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.[2][3] In 2004, she received a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Maine, and then taught social studies at Cape Elizabeth High School.[2][1][4][5]

Sanborn graduated from the University of Maine School of Law in 2007. There, she was the editor-in-chief of the Maine Law Review.[1]

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She subsequently worked as a law clerk to Judge Kermit Lipez on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.[1] She next worked as an associate in the litigation department at Ropes & Gray for almost three years.[1][6] Sanborn then practiced law at the law firm Brann & Isaacson in Lewiston, Maine.[7]

She has served on the boards of directors of the Portland Development Corporation, University Credit Union, and Universal Service Administrative Company.[8][9][4]

Brewery; beer industry advocacy

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Rising Tide Brewery (2010–24)

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Sanborn and her husband, Nathan Sanborn, co-founded and co-owned Rising Tide Brewery in Portland, and she served as its director of business operations from its founding in 2010 until 2024.[10][11][12] The brewery opened in 2010 and relocated to a larger space in 2012.[13] As of 2020, Rising Tide employed 29 people and produced 4,500 barrels of beer per year.[14]

In December 2024, the Sanborns sold Rising Tide Brewing Company to Oxbow Brewing Company, ensuring at the same time that the brand and the staff remained intact.[15]

2012 tasting room law

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Sanborn served as the President of the Maine Brewers' Guild, and has drawn on her law background to advocate for breweries around Maine.[1][10] She advocated for state-level law changes that benefit Maine's craft beer industry.[16] In collaboration with the Maine Brewer's Guild, she drafted the text of and submitted a bill to the 125th Maine Legislature that permitted breweries to sell their products on-site.[17] At the time, Maine breweries were only permitted to give away small samples of their beer, a business model which Sanborn and other industry leaders argued was not conducive to customer interaction and beer tourism.[18][19][20] The bill, LD #1889, was signed into law in April 2012.[19]

Political career

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Maine House of Representatives (2016–18)

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Sanborn ran unopposed in the 2016 Maine House of Representatives District 43 Democratic primary. She then defeated Republican opponent Jeffrey Langholtz 65%–35% in the general election.[21]

Sanborn was appointed to the Insurance and Financial Services Committee, and the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.[22] She was also Co-Chair of the Maine Legislature’s Health Care Task Force.[23]

Maine Senate (2018–22)

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In June 2018, Sanborn ran for the Maine Senate. She won a contested primary with 59% of the vote against Portland City Councilor Jill Duson to represent Maine's 28th State Senate District, covering parts of Portland and Westbrook.[24][21][25] She then won the general election.[21]

In 2020, Sanborn ran for re-election to the Maine Senate. She ran unopposed in both the Democratic primary and in the general election, and was elected to her second term representing District 28 in the Maine Senate.[21]

During her second term in the Maine Senate, Sanborn served as the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services.[26] She sponsored and successfully enacted LD 1783, which banned health insurance companies from using "copay accumulator" programs that effectively double-billed patients for prescription drugs.[27] In addition, Sanborn fought for the Dental Insurance Value Act under LD 1266, which created strict financial reporting mandates for dental insurers to make certain that premium revenues were spent on patient care instead of administrative overhead.[26] She also sponsored successful legislation (LD 340) meant to lower energy costs for families and small businesses, while at the same time aligning with Maine's energy efficiency targets.[28]

Sanborn chose not to seek re-election in 2022.[29]

Maine Public Advocate (2025–present)

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Following her time in the legislature, Maine Governor Janet Mills nominated Sanborn to serve as the Maine Public Advocate.[30] The Maine Senate confirmed her appointment to the role on January 28, 2025, to represent utility customers before regulators.[31]

References

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Personal life

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As of 2018, Sanborn and her husband and son lived in Portland.[32]

Electoral record

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Maine State House

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2016 Maine House District 28 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heather Sanborn 3,632 65.0%
Republican Jeffrey Langholtz 1,957 35.0%
Total votes 5,589 100.0%
Democratic hold

Maine State Senate

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2018 Maine Senate District 28 Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heather Sanborn 3.093 58.6%
Democratic Jill Duson 2,188 41.4%
Total votes 5,281 100.0%
2018 Maine Senate District 28 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heather Sanborn 15,940 81.0%
Independent Write-in candidates 3,729 19.0%
Total votes 24,796 100.0%
Democratic hold
2020 Maine Senate District 25 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heather Sanborn 20,173 100.0%
Total votes 20,173 100.0%
Democratic hold

[21]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Heather Sanborn '07, summa cum laude". University of Maine School of Law. Retrieved February 5, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. 1 2 "Ms. Heather B. Sanborn". Martindale. Retrieved February 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ↑ "Heather Sanborn," BallotReady.
  4. 1 2 "Board of Directors," Universal Service Administrative Company.
  5. ↑ "Legislative Record - Senate, Tuesday, January 28, 2025" (PDF). Maine Legislature. January 28, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Trained in law/thriving in business." Maine Law Magazine, Fall 2023.
  7. ↑ "Staff," Maine Office of the Public Advocate.
  8. ↑ "Heather Sanborn". Maine Senate Democrats. Retrieved February 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ↑ "League endorsed candidate wins primary race". Maine Credit Union League. June 14, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. 1 2 Martin, Dylan (August 10, 2015). "Women to Watch: Heather Sanborn, Rising Tide Brewing". Mainebiz. Retrieved February 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ↑ "Craft brewer Oxbow to acquire Portland-based Rising Tide Brewing". Mainebiz. December 5, 2024.
  12. ↑ "The Brewery". Rising Tide Brewing Company.
  13. ↑ "Rising Tide Brewing Company". U.S. Small Business Administration. Retrieved February 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  14. ↑ "Our Story". risingtidebrewing.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. ↑ "Oxbow Brewing Company to Acquire Rising Tide Brewing Company". Portland Old Port. December 4, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Lawyer turned brewer helps Maine's alcohol laws evolve". News Center Maine. May 21, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. ↑ "Lawyer turned brewer helps Maine's alcohol laws evolve". WCSH. May 21, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Maine on Tap: The Beer Boom". WGME. June 2, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  19. 1 2 Lauter, Carla Jean (April 13, 2018). "Happy birthday to the bill that changed Maine's beer industry". Maine Today. Retrieved April 10, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. ↑ "Lawyer turned brewer helps Maine's alcohol laws evolve". WCSH. May 21, 2014.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "Heather Sanborn". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  22. ↑ "Joint Committee Members - 128th Legislature". Maine House of Representatives. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Sen. Heather Sanborn is sworn into the Maine Senate," Maine Senate, December 6, 2018.
  24. ↑ Graham, Gillian (June 12, 2018). "Portland Rep. Sanborn wins Democratic primary for state senate". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Maine State Senate District 28". Ballotpedia.
  26. 1 2 "NADP, Dental Benefits Providers Rally Against Maine DLR Legislation". National Association of Dental Plans. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Senate enacts Sanborn bill to prevent insurance companies from double-billing patients for prescription drugs". Maine Senate Democrats. April 27, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Heather Sanborn Archives". Maine Senate Democrats. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Gov. Mills to nominate brewery owner and former lawmaker for public advocate post ," Maine Public, December 5, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Governor Mills Announces Nomination of Former Lawmaker, Business Leader Heather Sanborn to Serve as Public Advocate". Office of Governor Janet T. Mills. December 5, 2024.
  31. ↑ Hilton, AnnMarie (January 28, 2025). "Maine Senate confirms former state lawmaker, brewery owner as new public advocate". Maine Morning Star. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Sen. Heather Sanborn is sworn into the Maine Senate". Maine Senate Democrats. December 6, 2018.
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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heather_Sanborn&oldid=1365749779"