You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Marie Claire Daily
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Sent weekly on Saturday
Marie Claire Self Checkout
Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.
Once a week
Maire Claire Face Forward
Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.
Once a week
Livingetc
Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.
Delivered Daily
Homes & Gardens
The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.
Hannah Pingree, 33, speaker, Maine House of Representatives
Résumé: Hannah Pingree catapulted into Maine's House of Representatives at 24, fresh off her mom's failed U.S. Senate bid; her district included her home, tiny North Haven island, population 350. At 32, she became the youngest female House Speaker in the U.S. Today, championing clean energy and gay marriage, she's shown there's nothing remotely small-town about her politics — or her ambitions.
Background check: "As a teenager, it was inspiring to see my mom improving Mainers' lives as a state senator [her mom, Chellie Pingree, is now a Maine congresswoman]. I wanted to get involved — I just didn't know I'd do it so young. Then in college, I was the coxswain for Brown's freshman crew team. Yelling at a group of guys was intimidating, but that experience gave me the confidence to assert myself in the mostly male Maine legislature."
Big break: "I wasn't an expert on any issues when I was elected, but I was placed on Maine's state appropriations committee. I asked a lot of questions and made myself the go-to person on certain programs. People started seeing me as a real resource."
What's next: "It helped to start out in politics so early. Even though my legislative term ends this year, I'd love to run again — maybe for Maine's governorship."