Rachel Talbot Ross
Rachel Talbot Ross | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2018 | |
| Member of the Maine Senate from the 28th district | |
| Assumed office December 4, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Ben Chipman |
| 104th Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives | |
| In office December 7, 2022 – December 4, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Ryan Fecteau |
| Succeeded by | Ryan Fecteau |
| Member of the Maine House of Representatives | |
| In office December 7, 2016 – December 4, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Ben Chipman |
| Succeeded by | Yusuf M. Yusuf |
| Constituency | 40th district (2016–2022) 118th district (2022–2024) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1961 (age 64–65) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Relatives | Gerald Talbot (father) |
| Education | American University Wesleyan University |
Rachel Talbot Ross (born 1961) is an American politician and civil rights activist who has broken significant racial barriers in Maine politics. A Democrat from Portland, she is the current State Senator for District 28, having been elected unopposed in 2024.
Talbot Ross achieved several historic firsts during her political career. In 2016, she became the first Black woman elected to the Maine Legislature when she won a seat in the Maine House of Representatives. She later became the highest-ranking African American politician in Maine history when elected as the 104th Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives in December 2022, serving until December 2024.
The daughter of civil rights pioneer Gerald Talbot, Maine's first Black legislator, Talbot Ross has continued her family's legacy of public service and advocacy for racial equity. She served eight years in the Maine House representing Portland districts, including as assistant majority leader, before her election to the state senate. As a legislator, she championed criminal justice reform and authored groundbreaking legislation requiring racial impact assessments for new laws in Maine.