Matthew Dunlap
Encyclopedia
Matthew Dunlap is an American Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 politician from 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...

. He is the former Secretary of State of Maine
Secretary of State of Maine
The Secretary of State of Maine is elected by the Legislature in that U.S. state. The Maine Secretary of State is responsible for administering elections, the Maine State Archives, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and for chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to no more than two...

, taking office on January 7, 2005. Leaving office in January 2011, he assumed the role of Executive Director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine. Former Republican State Senator Charlie Summers replaced Dunlap as Secretary of State.

Early life, education, and early career

Matthew Dunlap was born in Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...

 and currently resides in Old Town, Maine
Old Town, Maine
Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,840 at the 2010 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on a relatively large island, though its boundaries extend beyond that...

. He earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...

. Prior to entering politics, he worked in a variety of jobs including textile worker, fur trapper, publishing editor, radio talk show host, cook, waiter, and bartender.

Maine legislature

In 1996, incumbent Robert Keane retired after one term. Dunlap defeated Republican Sean Stillings with 48% of the vote. He won re-election in 1998 with 64%, 2000 with 68%, and 2002 unopposed.

He served in the Maine House of Representatives
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...

 from 1996 to 2004.

Secretary of State

In 2008, he won the election to become Secretary of State of Maine
Secretary of State of Maine
The Secretary of State of Maine is elected by the Legislature in that U.S. state. The Maine Secretary of State is responsible for administering elections, the Maine State Archives, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and for chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to no more than two...

 unopposed. In 2010, he lost re-election to State Senator Charlie Summers 53% to 47%.

2012 U.S. Senate election

In November 2011, Dunlap filed to run against incumbent 3 term Republican 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,...

.

Personal life

Dunlap currently resides in Old Town, Maine
Old Town, Maine
Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,840 at the 2010 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on a relatively large island, though its boundaries extend beyond that...

 with his wife, Michelle Dunphy, and their daughter, Emily. He is a practicing Episcopalian.

Electoral history

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