Elect Ellie Sato for State Senate
Democratic Candidate for Senate District 30 in Gorham and Scarborough
Meet Ellie
As the current State Representative for part of my hometown of Gorham, I have worked hard in Augusta to serve our community. I was born and raised in Maine, and proud to call Gorham my hometown. I grew up helping my parents run a small business. When I was a professional dancer, bartender, and a legislative aide, I saw firsthand the struggles that that too many families face every day just trying to survive. I advocated for my family, friends, and colleagues in those roles, and I am committed to continuing this work as your state senator. I have the passion, experience, the network, and capacity to serve the people of Gorham today, and to fight for a better future for Maine. I hope to earn your vote.
Letter from Sen. Stacy Brenner, Speaker Ryan Fecteau, Rep. Deqa Dhalac
From her time as a Senate aide, everyone who met Ellie Sato knew she was exceptional. She is brilliant, humble, and strategic — a rare mix of gifts. Her diligence led her to the House of Representatives, where she has represented Gorham with poise and creativity. Ellie has been assigned to the judiciary committee — a rare feat for a first-term legislator, and a recognition that her exceptional acumen suited her for the committee with the most complex bills.
She has not disappointed. On bill after bill, Ellie has asked insightful questions, worked hard to reach consensus, and has built bridges across parties. Wise beyond her years, Ellie often served as the voice of the judiciary committee both in debates amongst colleagues and on the house floor.
Crucially, Ellie sponsored one of the most timely and important bills this year: LD 2106. That bill, now law, requires ICE to get a warrant to access schools, hospitals, and other sensitive locations. This issue is deeply personal to her. As a second generation immigrant, Ellie and her family are among those targeted by our renegade federal government. It is heartening to watch those most targeted lead the fight against the grotesque actions of ICE. Ellie has done this, and in so doing, inspired countless New Mainers.
In this effort, Ellie did something other legislators were not able to do this year: win the Governor’s support on legislation to protect immigrants. Ellie won over not only our moderate Governor, but even members of the other party, winning a bipartisan House vote.
Ellie co-sponsored and worked hard to champion several other immigrant-protective bills. She was tireless in her efforts to make sure we had enough votes to pass these bills. Her pragmatism, work ethic, and detailed knowledge of the legislative process were among our party’s most valuable assets. Ellie knew what she was doing on Day 1, and she only became more effective as she deepened her relationships with her legislative colleagues — relationships she cultivated even as she disagreed with those very same colleagues.
The Senate and House are different types of bodies. The House is the more raucous of the two, sometimes dubbed “the people’s chamber.” House members sometimes get rowdy, as this paper has repeatedly reported. Senators, in contrast, represent more constituents, forcing them to represent more viewpoints. Although she has thrived in the House, we believe Ellie is a perfect fit for the Senate. In her time on the judiciary committee, she has demonstrated an intuitive grasp of her moderate and conservative colleagues’ perspectives. She has worked hard to account for these perspectives in her efforts to find common ground. But she has never lost sight of her values.
Our favorite thing about Ellie is her moral clarity. Her approach to lawmaking is always informed by these questions: What actual impact will this bill have? Who am I serving? Does this reflect the trust my constituents have placed in me? Ellie never stops asking these questions, and answers them all in the best possible way. She has used her power, the incredible privilege of representing her constituents, to tackle the most pressing problems of the day: federal overreach; the climate crisis; a tech industry run amok.
Ellie Sato’s incredible work on data privacy, the most-lobbied bill of the last two years, stands out. That bill aimed to reign in Big Tech’s harmful data practices. As a co-sponsor of that bill, Ellie proved a crucial voice in our often bitter debates. The process showed us that Ellie embodies the virtues of the ideal lawmaker: an eloquent, quick study; an omnivorous mind; a rapport with her adversaries; an unwavering commitment to her principles.
If elected, she would be the first Asian-American to serve in the Maine Senate. We urge you to vote for Ellie Sato as your next State Senator in the primary on June 9th.
Sincerely,