Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives, 1820 -
Non-consecutive terms are noted as "see" references.
YEARS
NAME
RESIDENCE
PARTY
AGE WHEN FIRST ELECTED speaker
1820-1823
Benjamin Ames
Bath
Democratic-Republican
41
1824
Benjamin Greene
South Berwick
National Republican
59
1825-1828
John Ruggles
Thomaston
Democratic- Republican
35
1829
George Evans
Gardiner
National Republican
31
1830
Daniel Goodenow
York
National Republican
36
1831
John Ruggles
(Resigned from House 3/5/1831)
(Resigned from House 3/5/1831)
Thomaston
Democratic-Republican
see 1825
1832
Benjamin White, Jr.
(Elected Speaker 3/5/1831)
(Elected Speaker 3/5/1831)
Monmouth
Democrat
41
1833-1834
Nathan Clifford
Newfield
Democrat
29
1835
Thomas Davee
(Resigned from House 2/26/1835)
(Resigned from House 2/26/1835)
Blanchard
Democrat
37
1835-1836
Jonathan Cilley
(Elected Speaker 2/26/1835)
(Elected Speaker 2/26/1835)
Thomaston
Democrat
32
1837
Hannibal Hamlin
Hampden
Democrat
27
1838
Elisha H. Allen
Bangor
Whig
33
1839-1840
Hannibal Hamlin
Hampden
Democrat
see 1837
1841
Josiah S. Little
Portland
Whig
39
1842
Charles Andrews
Turner
Democrat
27
1843-1844
David Dunn
Poland
Democrat
31
1845
Moses McDonald
Limerick
Democrat
30
1846
Ebenezer Knowlton
Montville
Democrat
30
1847-1848
Hugh D. McLellan
Gorham
Democrat
41
1849-1850
Samuel Belcher
Farmington
Democrat
34
1851-1852
George P. Sewall
Old Town
Democrat
40
1853
John Coffin Talbot, Jr.
Lubec
Democrat
36
1854
Noah Smith, Jr.
Calais
Whig
53
1855
Sidney Perham
Woodstock
Republican
35
1856
Josiah S. Little
Portland
Democrat
see 1841
1857
Charles A. Spofford
Deer Isle
Democrat
34
1858
Josiah H. Drummond
Waterville
Republican
30
1859
William T. Johnson
Augusta
Republican
43
1860
Frederick A. Pike
Calais
Republican
42
1861-1862
James G. Blaine
Augusta
Republican
31
1863-1864
Nelson Dingley, Jr.
Auburn
Republican
30
1865
William A. P. Dillingham
Waterville
Republican
40
1866
James M. Stone
Kennebunk
Republican
39
1867
Lewis Barker
Stetson
Republican
48
1868
Theodore C. Woodman
Bucksport
Republican
52
1869
Josiah H. Drummond
Waterville
Republican
see 1858
1870
Reuben Foster
Waterville
Republican
36
1871
Edwin B. Smith
Saco
Republican
38
1872
Frederick Robie
Gorham
Republican
49
1873
Edmund F. Webb
Waterville
Republican
37
1874-1875
William W. Thomas, Jr.
Portland
Republican
34
1876
Frederick Robie
Gorham
Republican
see 1872
1877
Edward B. Nealley
Bangor
Republican
39
1878
Henry Lord
Bangor
Republican
30
1879
Melvin P. Frank
Portland
Democrat
37
1880
George E. Weeks
Augusta
Repuglican
41
1881-82
Liberty H. Hutchinson
Lewiston
Republican
36
1883-84
Josiah Manchester Haynes
Augusta
Republican
43
1885-86
Charles Hamlin
Bangor
Republican
47
1887-88
Charles E. Littlefield
Rockland
Republican
35
1889-90
Frederick N. Dow
Portland
Republican
48
1891-92
Andrew P. Wiswell
Ellsworth
Republican
38
1893-94
Albert R. Savage
Auburn
Republican
45
1895-96
Llewellyn Powers
Houlton
Republican
58
1897-98
Seth L. Larrabee
Portland
Republican
41
1899-1900
Isaiah K. Stetson
Bangor
Republican
40
1901-02
Joseph H. Manley
Augusta
Republican
58
1903-04
Oscar F. Fellows
Bucksport
Republican
45
1905-06
Morrill N. Drew
Portland
Republican
42
1907-08
Donald A. H. Powers
Houlton
Republican
56
1909-10
George G. Weeks
Fairfield
Republican
48
1911-12
Frank A. Morey
Lewiston
Democrat
47
1913-14
John A. Peters
Ellsworth
Republican
48
1915-16
Herbert W. Trafton
Fort Fairfield
Democrat 1
50
1917-18
William L. Bonney
Bowdoinham
Republican
50
1919-20
Frank G. Farrington
Augusta
Republican
46
1921-22
Charles P. Barnes
Houlton
Republican
51
1923-24
Frank H. Holley
Anson
Republican
42
1925-26
William Tudor Gardiner
Gardiner
Republican
32
1927-28
Burleigh Martin
Augusta
Republican
38
1929-30
Robert Hale
Portland
Republican
39
1931-32
E. D. Merrill
Dover-Foxcroft
Republican
65
1933-34
Franz U. Burkett
Portland
Republican
45
1935-36
Nathaniel Tompkins
Houlton
Republican
55
1937-38
George E. Hill
South Portland
Republican
33
1939-40
Donald Ward Philbrick
Cape Elizabeth
Republican
42
1941-42
George D. Varney, Sr.
Berwick
Republican
37
1943-44
F. Ardine Richardson
Strong
Republican
47
1945-46
George B. Barnes
Houlton
Republican
40
1947-48
John F. Ward
Millinocket
Republican
42
1949-50
Nathaniel M. Haskell
Portland
Republican
36
1951-52
William S. Silsby
Aurora
Republican
48
1953-54
Roswell P. Bates
Orono
Republican
41
1955-56
Willis A. Trafton, Jr.
Auburn
Republican
36
1957-60
Joseph T. Edgar
Bar Harbor
Republican
46
1961-62
Vinal G. Good
Sebago
Republican
54
1963-64
David J. Kennedy
Milbridge
Republican
55
1965-66
Dana W. Childs
Portland
Democrat
42
1967-72
David J. Kennedy
Milbridge
Republican
see 1963
1973-74
Richard D. Hewes
Cape Elizabeth
Republican
46
1975-94
John L. Martin
(Resigned as Speaker 2/3/1994)
(Resigned as Speaker 2/3/1994)
Eagle Lake
Democrat
33
1994-96
Dan A. Gwadosky
(Elected Speaker 2/3/1994)
(Elected Speaker 2/3/1994)
Fairfield
Democrat
39
1997-1998
Elizabeth H. Mitchell
Vassalboro
Democrat
56
1999-2000
G. Steven Rowe
Portland
Democrat
45
2001-2002
Michael V. Saxl
Portland
Democrat
33
2003-2004
Patrick Colwell
Gardiner
Democrat
51*
2005-2006
John G. Richardson
Brunswick
Democrat
47
2007-2008
Glenn A. Cummings
Portland
Democrat
45*
2009-2010
Hannah M. Pingree
North Haven
Democrat
32*
2011-2012
Robert W. Nutting
Oakland
Republican
63*
2013-2016
Mark Eves
North Berwick
Democrat
35*
2017-2020
Sara Gideon
Freeport
Democrat
45*
2021-2022
Ryan M. Fecteau
Biddeford
Democrat
28*
2023-2024
Rachel Talbot Ross
Portland
Democrat
62*
2025-
Ryan M. Fecteau
Biddeford
Democrat
see 2021
1 Mundy identifies Herbert W. Trafton as a Republican. Library sources and news articles indicate Democrat.
* Approximate age, based on news articles.
Sources:
For the years 1820-1994, party, birth date, and death date information is taken primarily from Mundy, James H. Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives from 1820. Augusta, ME: Clerk of the House (1981). Residence is primarily taken from the Laws of the State of Maine. Information related to resignations and elections is taken from the Laws of the State of Maine, Legislative Record, and the Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Maine. In some cases, information was supplemented by published obituaries and news articles.
For the years 1995-present, party and residence information is primarily taken from the State of Maine Senate and House Registers. Birth and death dates are taken primarily from published obituaries and news articles. Information related to resignations and elections is taken from the House Legislative Record.
12/9/2024 A-Z List
| Non-consecutive terms are noted as "see" references. |
YEARS |
NAME |
RESIDENCE |
PARTY |
AGE WHEN FIRST ELECTED speaker |
| 1820-1823 | Benjamin Ames | Bath | Democratic-Republican | 41 |
| 1824 | Benjamin Greene | South Berwick | National Republican | 59 |
| 1825-1828 | John Ruggles | Thomaston | Democratic- Republican | 35 |
| 1829 | George Evans | Gardiner | National Republican | 31 |
| 1830 | Daniel Goodenow | York | National Republican | 36 |
| 1831 | John Ruggles (Resigned from House 3/5/1831) |
Thomaston | Democratic-Republican | see 1825 |
| 1832 | Benjamin White, Jr. (Elected Speaker 3/5/1831) |
Monmouth | Democrat | 41 |
| 1833-1834 | Nathan Clifford | Newfield | Democrat | 29 |
| 1835 | Thomas Davee (Resigned from House 2/26/1835) |
Blanchard | Democrat | 37 |
| 1835-1836 | Jonathan Cilley (Elected Speaker 2/26/1835) |
Thomaston | Democrat | 32 |
| 1837 | Hannibal Hamlin | Hampden | Democrat | 27 |
| 1838 | Elisha H. Allen | Bangor | Whig | 33 |
| 1839-1840 | Hannibal Hamlin | Hampden | Democrat | see 1837 |
| 1841 | Josiah S. Little | Portland | Whig | 39 |
| 1842 | Charles Andrews | Turner | Democrat | 27 |
| 1843-1844 | David Dunn | Poland | Democrat | 31 |
| 1845 | Moses McDonald | Limerick | Democrat | 30 |
| 1846 | Ebenezer Knowlton | Montville | Democrat | 30 |
| 1847-1848 | Hugh D. McLellan | Gorham | Democrat | 41 |
| 1849-1850 | Samuel Belcher | Farmington | Democrat | 34 |
| 1851-1852 | George P. Sewall | Old Town | Democrat | 40 |
| 1853 | John Coffin Talbot, Jr. | Lubec | Democrat | 36 |
| 1854 | Noah Smith, Jr. | Calais | Whig | 53 |
| 1855 | Sidney Perham | Woodstock | Republican | 35 |
| 1856 | Josiah S. Little | Portland | Democrat | see 1841 |
| 1857 | Charles A. Spofford | Deer Isle | Democrat | 34 |
| 1858 | Josiah H. Drummond | Waterville | Republican | 30 |
| 1859 | William T. Johnson | Augusta | Republican | 43 |
| 1860 | Frederick A. Pike | Calais | Republican | 42 |
| 1861-1862 | James G. Blaine | Augusta | Republican | 31 |
| 1863-1864 | Nelson Dingley, Jr. | Auburn | Republican | 30 |
| 1865 | William A. P. Dillingham | Waterville | Republican | 40 |
| 1866 | James M. Stone | Kennebunk | Republican | 39 |
| 1867 | Lewis Barker | Stetson | Republican | 48 |
| 1868 | Theodore C. Woodman | Bucksport | Republican | 52 |
| 1869 | Josiah H. Drummond | Waterville | Republican | see 1858 |
| 1870 | Reuben Foster | Waterville | Republican | 36 |
| 1871 | Edwin B. Smith | Saco | Republican | 38 |
| 1872 | Frederick Robie | Gorham | Republican | 49 |
| 1873 | Edmund F. Webb | Waterville | Republican | 37 |
| 1874-1875 | William W. Thomas, Jr. | Portland | Republican | 34 |
| 1876 | Frederick Robie | Gorham | Republican | see 1872 |
| 1877 | Edward B. Nealley | Bangor | Republican | 39 |
| 1878 | Henry Lord | Bangor | Republican | 30 |
| 1879 | Melvin P. Frank | Portland | Democrat | 37 |
| 1880 | George E. Weeks | Augusta | Repuglican | 41 |
| 1881-82 | Liberty H. Hutchinson | Lewiston | Republican | 36 |
| 1883-84 | Josiah Manchester Haynes | Augusta | Republican | 43 |
| 1885-86 | Charles Hamlin | Bangor | Republican | 47 |
| 1887-88 | Charles E. Littlefield | Rockland | Republican | 35 |
| 1889-90 | Frederick N. Dow | Portland | Republican | 48 |
| 1891-92 | Andrew P. Wiswell | Ellsworth | Republican | 38 |
| 1893-94 | Albert R. Savage | Auburn | Republican | 45 |
| 1895-96 | Llewellyn Powers | Houlton | Republican | 58 |
| 1897-98 | Seth L. Larrabee | Portland | Republican | 41 |
| 1899-1900 | Isaiah K. Stetson | Bangor | Republican | 40 |
| 1901-02 | Joseph H. Manley | Augusta | Republican | 58 |
| 1903-04 | Oscar F. Fellows | Bucksport | Republican | 45 |
| 1905-06 | Morrill N. Drew | Portland | Republican | 42 |
| 1907-08 | Donald A. H. Powers | Houlton | Republican | 56 |
| 1909-10 | George G. Weeks | Fairfield | Republican | 48 |
| 1911-12 | Frank A. Morey | Lewiston | Democrat | 47 |
| 1913-14 | John A. Peters | Ellsworth | Republican | 48 |
| 1915-16 | Herbert W. Trafton | Fort Fairfield | Democrat 1 | 50 |
| 1917-18 | William L. Bonney | Bowdoinham | Republican | 50 |
| 1919-20 | Frank G. Farrington | Augusta | Republican | 46 |
| 1921-22 | Charles P. Barnes | Houlton | Republican | 51 |
| 1923-24 | Frank H. Holley | Anson | Republican | 42 |
| 1925-26 | William Tudor Gardiner | Gardiner | Republican | 32 |
| 1927-28 | Burleigh Martin | Augusta | Republican | 38 |
| 1929-30 | Robert Hale | Portland | Republican | 39 |
| 1931-32 | E. D. Merrill | Dover-Foxcroft | Republican | 65 |
| 1933-34 | Franz U. Burkett | Portland | Republican | 45 |
| 1935-36 | Nathaniel Tompkins | Houlton | Republican | 55 |
| 1937-38 | George E. Hill | South Portland | Republican | 33 |
| 1939-40 | Donald Ward Philbrick | Cape Elizabeth | Republican | 42 |
| 1941-42 | George D. Varney, Sr. | Berwick | Republican | 37 |
| 1943-44 | F. Ardine Richardson | Strong | Republican | 47 |
| 1945-46 | George B. Barnes | Houlton | Republican | 40 |
| 1947-48 | John F. Ward | Millinocket | Republican | 42 |
| 1949-50 | Nathaniel M. Haskell | Portland | Republican | 36 |
| 1951-52 | William S. Silsby | Aurora | Republican | 48 |
| 1953-54 | Roswell P. Bates | Orono | Republican | 41 |
| 1955-56 | Willis A. Trafton, Jr. | Auburn | Republican | 36 |
| 1957-60 | Joseph T. Edgar | Bar Harbor | Republican | 46 |
| 1961-62 | Vinal G. Good | Sebago | Republican | 54 |
| 1963-64 | David J. Kennedy | Milbridge | Republican | 55 |
| 1965-66 | Dana W. Childs | Portland | Democrat | 42 |
| 1967-72 | David J. Kennedy | Milbridge | Republican | see 1963 |
| 1973-74 | Richard D. Hewes | Cape Elizabeth | Republican | 46 |
| 1975-94 | John L. Martin (Resigned as Speaker 2/3/1994) |
Eagle Lake | Democrat | 33 |
| 1994-96 | Dan A. Gwadosky (Elected Speaker 2/3/1994) |
Fairfield | Democrat | 39 |
| 1997-1998 | Elizabeth H. Mitchell | Vassalboro | Democrat | 56 |
| 1999-2000 | G. Steven Rowe | Portland | Democrat | 45 |
| 2001-2002 | Michael V. Saxl | Portland | Democrat | 33 |
| 2003-2004 | Patrick Colwell | Gardiner | Democrat | 51* |
| 2005-2006 | John G. Richardson | Brunswick | Democrat | 47 |
| 2007-2008 | Glenn A. Cummings | Portland | Democrat | 45* |
| 2009-2010 | Hannah M. Pingree | North Haven | Democrat | 32* |
| 2011-2012 | Robert W. Nutting | Oakland | Republican | 63* |
| 2013-2016 | Mark Eves | North Berwick | Democrat | 35* |
| 2017-2020 | Sara Gideon | Freeport | Democrat | 45* |
| 2021-2022 | Ryan M. Fecteau | Biddeford | Democrat | 28* |
| 2023-2024 | Rachel Talbot Ross | Portland | Democrat | 62* |
| 2025- | Ryan M. Fecteau | Biddeford | Democrat | see 2021 |
1 Mundy identifies Herbert W. Trafton as a Republican. Library sources and news articles indicate Democrat.
* Approximate age, based on news articles.
Sources:
For the years 1820-1994, party, birth date, and death date information is taken primarily from Mundy, James H. Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives from 1820. Augusta, ME: Clerk of the House (1981). Residence is primarily taken from the Laws of the State of Maine. Information related to resignations and elections is taken from the Laws of the State of Maine, Legislative Record, and the Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Maine. In some cases, information was supplemented by published obituaries and news articles.
For the years 1995-present, party and residence information is primarily taken from the State of Maine Senate and House Registers. Birth and death dates are taken primarily from published obituaries and news articles. Information related to resignations and elections is taken from the House Legislative Record.
12/9/2024 A-Z List