Eloise Vitelli

Eloise A. Vitelli (born 1949) is the majority leader of the Maine Senate. She is a Democrat representing Senate District 24, which serves all of Sagadahoc County and the adjacent town of Dresden, Maine in Lincoln County. Vitelli was first elected to the Maine Senate in a 2013 special election, but lost her re-election bid in 2014. She was re-elected in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. Vitelli began working as an entrepreneurship trainer in the early 1980s and was the director of program and policy for New Ventures Maine for 38 years. She became the Assistant Senate Majority Leader in December 2020, and Majority Leader in February 2021.

Eloise Vitelli
Majority Leader of the Maine Senate
Assumed office
February 1, 2021
Preceded byNate Libby
Member of the Maine Senate
Assumed office
December 7, 2022
Preceded byMattie Daughtry
Constituency24th district
In office
December 7, 2016 – December 7, 2022
Preceded byLinda Baker
Succeeded byMattie Daughtry
Constituency23rd district
In office
August 28, 2013 – December 2014
Preceded bySeth Goodall
Succeeded byLinda Baker
Constituency23rd district
Personal details
Born1949 (age 73–74)
Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseBob Kalish
EducationUniversity of Pittsburgh (BA)
University of Southern Maine (MS)
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and education

Vitelli was born in 1949 in Trenton, New Jersey, the third of five children. Her father was a college professor and her mother was an art teacher. Vitelli grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania.[1][2][3] but the family also lived in Italy and India when Vitelli was a child.[4]

Vitelli has also studied and traveled in Europe, Asia and Africa.[4] She received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971 and a Master of Science in education counseling from the University of Southern Maine in 1979.[5][6]

In the early 1970s, both Vitelli and her parents moved to midcoast Maine to be near friends who lived in Damariscotta. Vitelli lived in Newcastle and Phippsburg before settling in Arrowsic with her husband in 1978.[4][3] She worked as an early childhood Head Start teacher in Waldoboro, Nobleboro, and Brunswick.[1][3]

Vitelli began working in entrepreneurship training in 1983, focusing on projects and organizations that developed women entrepreneurs. In 2018, she retired after 38 years as the director of program and policy for Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community, now called New Ventures Maine.[4][7]

Maine Senate

Vitelli was first elected to the Maine Senate in an August 2013 special election after Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall resigned to accept a presidential appointment overseeing the New England region of the Small Business Administration.[8][9] Vitelli won the three-way race with 50.5% of the vote.[10]

In 2014, Vitelli ran for re-election but was defeated by Republican Linda Baker.[11]

In November 2016, Vitelli ran for the Senate again and beat Republican Guy Lebida with 52.9% of the vote.[12][13] She defeated Republican Richard Donaldson in 2018 and Republican Holly Kopp in 2020.[13] Vitelli was selected to be the Assistant Senate Majority Leader in December 2020, and in February 2021, when majority leader Nate Libby stepped down from the leadership position, Vitelli was named majority leader.[14][1] She was re-elected Senate Majority Leader following the November 2022 elections.[15] Vitelli serves on the Government Oversight and the Energy, Utilities & Technology committees.[16]

Personal life

Vitelli and her husband, journalist Bob Kalish, have two adult sons, Sam and Will.[17][3] Vitelli enjoys gardening, reading, camping and hiking, and has climbed Mount Katahdin 10 times.[18][2]

Awards & honors
  • 1986 co-recipient, Women's Business Advocate of the Year award, Maine Small Business Administration
  • 1995 inductee into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame
  • 1997 Women's Business Advocate of the Year
  • 2006 McGillicuddy Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, Maine Small Business Administration[14][17][4][14]

Electoral record
2013 Maine State Senate District 19 Special Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 4,631 50.6%
Republican Paula Benoit 4,169 45.5%
Green Daniel Stromgren 357 3.9%
Total votes 9,157 100.0%
2014 Maine State Senate District 23 Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 100.0%
Total votes 100.0%
2014 Maine State Senate District 23 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Linda Baker 8,916 46.8%
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 7,880 41.4%
Green Alice Knapp 2,243 11.8%
Total votes 19,039 100.0%
2016 Maine State Senate District 23 Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 100.0%
Total votes 100.0%
2016 Maine State Senate District 23 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 12,038 52.9%
Republican Guy Lebida 10,712 47.1%
Total votes 22,750 100.0%
2018 Maine State Senate District 23 Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 4,334 100.0%
Total votes 4,334 100.0%
2018 Maine State Senate District 23 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 11,580 57.7%
Republican Richard Donaldson 8,490 42.3%
Total votes 20,070 100.0%
2020 Maine State Senate District 23 Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 5,621 100%
Total votes 5,621 100.0%
2020 Maine State Senate District 23 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 13,810 55.8%
Republican Holly Kopp 10,922 44.2%
Total votes 24,732 100.0%[13]
2020 Maine State Senate District 24[lower-alpha 1] Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli 2,078 100%
Total votes 5,621 100.0%
2022 Maine State Senate District 24 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Eloise Vitelli (incumbent) 12,558 58%
Republican Matthew Brackley 9,016 42%
Total votes 21,574 100%

Notes
  1. Following the 2020 United States census, legislative districts in Maine were re-drawn. Vitelli's district number switched from 23 to 24.

References
  1. "About Eloise". Sen. Eloise Vitelli. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  2. Houk, Evan (7 September 2020). "Arrowsic Senator Seeks Reelection". The Lincoln County News. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  3. Violo, Alexander (1 November 2018). "Arrowsic Senator Focuses on Education, Health Care in Re-Election Bid". The Lincoln County News. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  4. "Eloise A. Vitelli". Maine Women's Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  5. "Eloise A Vitelli, Democrat". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  6. "Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli". Maine Senate Democrats. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  7. "Celebrating Eloise Vitelli & Our New Enterprise Fund". New Ventures Maine. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  8. Crosby, Craig (15 October 2014). "Three square off in Maine Senate District 23". Centralmaine.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  9. Richardson, Whit (4 June 2013). "Seth Goodall resigning his Senate seat to take SBA post". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  10. Brogan, Beth (27 August 2013). "Democrat Eloise Vitelli bests Republican Paula Benoit to claim Bath-area Senate 19 seat". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  11. Lear, Alex; Forecaster, The. "Republican Baker unseats incumbent Vitelli for Bath-area Senate seat". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  12. "Maine 23rd District State Senate Results: Eloise Vitelli Wins". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  13. "Eloise Vitelli". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  14. "Vitelli named Maine Senate Majority Leader". Portland Press Herald/The Forecaster. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  15. Billings, Randy. "Republicans in Maine Legislature shake up leadership after disappointing election". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  16. "Sen. Eloise Vitelli (D - Sagadahoc)". Maine State Legislature. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  17. "Vitelli to run for Sagadahoc senate seat". The New Maine Times. 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  18. "Eloise A Vitelli, Maine Senate 23". Portland Press Herald/Times Record. 26 September 2020. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
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