Mark W. Lawrence is a Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

 lawyer and former politician. A Democrat

Maine Democratic Party

The Maine Democratic Party is the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of Maine.-Current Democratic officeholders:The Maine Democratic Party is the minority party in both the Maine Senate and Maine House of Representatives. The party, however, holds both of the state's U.S...

, Lawrence served in the Maine State Legislature from 1988-2000. He served as Senate President from 1997-2000. He challenged Republican incumbent Olympia Snowe

Olympia Snowe

Olympia Jean Snowe , née Bouchles, is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins,...

 in the 2000 U.S. Senate election and lost. He lost in the Democratic primary for the open seat in the 1st congressional district

Maine's 1st congressional district

Maine's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maine. The geographically smaller of the two congressional districts in the state, the district covers the southern coastal area of the state. The district consists of all of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc,...

 in 2008. He served from 2003-2010 as the York County

York County, Maine

York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, the population was 197,131. Its county seat is Alfred.Founded in 1636, it is the oldest county in Maine and one of the oldest in the United States....

 District Attorney

District attorney

In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...

 before deciding to not seek re-election in 2010 election

Maine elections, 2010

Elections will be held in Maine on November 2, 2010. Primary elections took place on June 8, 2010 for the Democratic Party, Republican Party, and Green Party.-United States House:...

. He retired from public office to gain more control over his schedule.