Shenna Bellows facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shenna Bellows
Bellows in 2014
50th Secretary of State of Maine
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2021
Governor	Janet Mills
Preceded by	Matthew Dunlap
Member of the Maine Senate from the 14th district
In office December 7, 2016 – December 2, 2020
Preceded by	Earle McCormick
Succeeded by	Craig Hickman
Personal details
Born	Shenna Lee Bellows (1975-03-23) March 23, 1975 (age 50) Greenfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Brandon Baldwin ​ (m. 2012)​
Education	Middlebury College (BA)

Shenna Lee Bellows (born March 23, 1975) is an American politician who became the 50th Secretary of State of Maine in 2021. She is the first woman ever to hold this important job in Maine. The Secretary of State is in charge of elections and official state records.

Before her work in government, Bellows was a civil rights advocate. This means she worked to protect the rights and freedoms of all people. From 2005 to 2013, she was the leader of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maine. She also served in the Maine Senate from 2016 to 2020.

In December 2023, Bellows became known across the country. She made a ruling that former president Donald Trump could not be on Maine's primary election ballot. This decision was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. In March 2025, she announced she was running for Governor of Maine in the 2026 Maine gubernatorial election.

Early Life and Schooling

Shenna Bellows was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Her father, Dexter, was a carpenter, and her mother, Janice, was a nurse. She grew up in the small town of Hancock, Maine. Bellows has said that her family had very little money when she was a child. For a while, they lived without electricity or running water.

When she was 15, Bellows traveled to Brazil as part of a foreign exchange program. She graduated from Ellsworth High School in 1993. She then went to Middlebury College, where she earned a degree in arts. During her school years, she also worked as a research assistant at a science lab, studying fish.

Early Career and Helping Others

Before entering politics, Bellows spent many years working for non-profit groups and helping communities.

Working for Civil Liberties

For eight years, Bellows was the executive director of the ACLU of Maine. In this role, she worked with politicians from both the Republican and Democratic parties. Together, they passed laws to protect people's privacy and rights. She was a leader in the successful campaign to allow same-sex marriage in Maine. She also worked to protect voting rights.

Helping People Around the World

Bellows volunteered for AmeriCorps VISTA in Nashville, Tennessee. There, she helped a new non-profit organization create programs to help young people in public housing.

She also served in the Peace Corps in Panama. In a small town, she started a program to help local craftspeople get small loans for their businesses. She also started a business program for high school students.

Political Career

After years of advocacy work, Shenna Bellows decided to run for office.

Maine State Senate

In 2016, Bellows was elected to the Maine Senate. She represented the 14th district, which includes her hometown of Manchester. She was re-elected in 2018 and 2020. As a state senator, she helped make laws for the people of Maine. She resigned from the Senate in December 2020 to take on a new role.

Secretary of State of Maine

In December 2020, the Maine Legislature elected Bellows to be the Secretary of State of Maine. She is the first woman to hold this position. The Secretary of State is one of the top officials in the state government. Their job includes overseeing elections to make sure they are fair.

In March 2025, Bellows announced that she would run for Governor of Maine in the 2026 election.

Ruling on Donald Trump's Ballot Access

In December 2023, Bellows had to make a very important decision. Some voters in Maine challenged whether Donald Trump should be allowed on the 2024 presidential primary ballot. They argued he was not eligible because of his role in the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

As Secretary of State, it was Bellows' job to review these challenges. After a public hearing, she ruled that Trump's name could not appear on the ballot.

This decision caused a lot of controversy. Bellows faced serious online harassment, and a dangerous prank call sent police to her home. This is known as swatting.

Trump's legal team appealed her decision. The case eventually went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In March 2024, the Supreme Court made a final ruling that individual states could not remove a presidential candidate from the ballot in this way. After the court's decision, Bellows officially put Trump's name back on the Maine ballot.

What Bellows Believes In

Shenna Bellows has clear positions on many important issues.

• Healthcare: She supports the Affordable Care Act and wants to expand government health programs like Medicaid and Medicare. She is also a strong supporter of women's healthcare.
• The Economy: Bellows supports raising the minimum wage. She believes in lowering taxes for middle-class families and small businesses, but thinks the wealthiest people and large corporations should pay more in taxes.
• The Environment: She supports government rules to lower pollution and fight climate change.
• Government and Elections: Bellows believes there is too much money in politics. She supports the public funding of elections, which means using tax money instead of private donations to pay for campaigns.
• Civil Rights: She was a leader in the effort to pass marriage equality in Maine. She supports federal laws to protect LGBT people from discrimination.

Personal Life

Bellows is married to Brandon Baldwin. They live in Manchester, Maine.

Electoral history

Maine Senate district 14

United States Senate