Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross was named Assistant House Majority Leader for the 130th legislative session in the Maine House of Representatives on November 12, 2020. She is the first Black woman to hold this position. She was also the first Black woman to be elected into the legislature in 2016 – from the same district (District 40) as her father, Gerald Talbot, who was Maine’s first African-American legislator. Talbot Ross replaces Rep. Ryan Fecteau to serve as Assistant House Majority Leader.
Rep. Talbot Ross is serving her third term in the Maine House, where she has served on three committees: Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Health and Human Services Committee and Judiciary. Talbot Ross chairs the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations. Lawmakers will be sworn in for the 130th Maine Legislature on Dec. 2, 2020. Additional details will be available in the coming weeks.
“We are facing twin pandemics of coronavirus and structural racism in Maine and across the country. To take these on, we need bold policies, strong collaboration and thoughtful leadership,” said Talbot Ross. “I am honored to be a part of the House Democratic leadership team, and to be in a position to push for the progress I know is possible in our State.”
