Janet T. Mills is governor of Maine.

The writer Kurt Vonnegut once said that every government ought to have a Department of the Future. When I became governor, I created the first Office of the Future in Maine.

The person I sought out to lead that office in 2019 was former Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree, someone with the knowledge and positive attitude to tackle our most serious  problems — the opioid epidemic, housing, energy, the climate crisis — and the vision to create concrete, long-lasting solutions. 

It was Hannah, as director of our Office of the Future, who came up with creative ideas to help communities get through the pandemic and then rebuild after devastating storms, to promote renewables and cost-saving heat sources, to invest in affordable homes, to expand apprenticeships and workforce training and to fund early childhood education. 

From school board chair to running a small business, to holding an office of statewide importance, Hannah Pingree’s experience is deep and well rounded. She is the only candidate who has been fully involved with the state budget and education, healthcare, housing, climate, energy, childcare, workforce and economic development policies. 

She has been a key advisor through every emergency, including the worldwide pandemic, violence in Lewiston and devastating storms. When Hannah and I served in the Legislature, we didn’t agree on every measure, and I know she won’t approach every issue the same way I have, but I tell you, she is prepared for the future and she is ready for whatever the world throws at us. 

Hannah speaks not in platitudes or election year promises but from a life of purpose and service. As a wife and mother of two young public school kids, she knows how tough it is to balance healthcare, childcare and groceries.

And as the daughter of parents who were volunteer EMTs, farmers, boatbuilders and local leaders, she knows what Maine’s sense of community is all about. With small town values and big world ideas, Hannah knows how to make Maine a better state, and she’s the only candidate who knows how to turn those ideas into reality. 

I am confident Hannah Pingree can win the general election and that she will hit the ground running as our next governor. She was the right pick for Maine seven years ago, and she’s the right pick now. 

Hannah Pingree is the future.