Representative Rachel Talbot Ross Contact information

Rachel Ross is a distinguished member of the Maine House of Representatives, representing District 118. A ninth-generation Mainer, she has dedicated her career to public service and social justice. She holds the historic distinction of being the first black woman to serve as Speaker of the Maine House.

Her extensive career includes over two decades of service as the City of Portland’s Director of Equal Opportunity and Multicultural Affairs. She has been a leading figure in the NAACP in Maine and has founded several nonprofit organizations, such as Maine Black Community Development, Maine Freedom Trails, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellows.

In her legislative role, Speaker Ross has been a strong advocate for justice reform and has played a significant role in shaping critical conversations about equity for all Mainers. Her legislative achievements include sponsoring successful legislation to create Maine’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations, which she now co-chairs. She has also been instrumental in passing bills to include racial impact analysis in the legislative process and expanding tribal legal authority over domestic violence against Native Americans.

Speaker Ross’s contributions to public service and social justice have been recognized with several awards, including the University of New England’s Deborah Morton Award for exceptional civic leadership and the 2020 Gerda Haas Award for Excellence in Holocaust and Human Rights Education and Leadership. She was named the 2020 Woman of the Year by Emerge Maine and received the 2021 Waynflete Klingenstein Alumni Award.

Her commitment to her community and her impactful work in the Maine House of Representatives continue to inspire many and contribute to the betterment of society.