The Knox County Democratic Committee will host a panel that includes Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey,  Maine Center for Economic Policy President Garrett Martin, and League of Women Voters-ME / Democracy Maine Executive Director Anna Kellar May 9 to discuss, "assaults on our democracy posed by Trump’s Executive Orders and DOGE’S directives mandating funding cuts and dismantling programs and agencies, and highlight the state actions and responses mitigating their negative impact on the people of Maine," according to a news release from the Knox County Democratic Committee.

The conversation will talke place 7 to 9 p.m., at Watts Hall, 175 Main Street, Thomaston, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

This panel discussion is free and open to all. Seating is limited at Watts Hall. Folks are encouraged to RSVP to provide an estimate of the number of those planning to attend. The event will also be livestreamed. For more information, visit the KCDC website. 

The Knox County Democratic Committee is an association that promotes the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party; encourages and maintains participation and unity of enrolled voters and potential candidates in Knox County, Maine; provides leadership to, and coordination with, Municipal Committees, the Maine Democratic State Committee and the Democratic National Committee; and supports the nominees elected in the State Democratic Primary and their election to office. 

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Shenna Bellows is Maine’s first female Secretary of State. Secretary Bellows previously served two terms in the Maine Senate from 2016-2020, during which she served as Senate Chair of the Labor and Housing Committee and served on the Judiciary Committee. Prior to public service, she was Executive Director of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine on the Universirty of Maine at Augusta (UMA) campus, where she now serves on the UMA Board of Visitors. From 2005 to 2013, Secretary Bellows was executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine. Bellows co-chaired a successful 2011 statewide ballot campaign to restore same-day voter registration. 

Aaron Frey is serving his fourth term as Maine’s Attorney General, having been first elected to the position in 2018.  He is a graduate of Nokomis High School, received his Bachelor of Arts from Saint Anselm College, and received his Juris Doctorate from Roger Williams University School of Law.  As Attorney General, Mr. Frey serves as Maine’s chief law enforcement officer and represents the state in a wide range of legal matters, including but not limited to bringing consumer protection actions, litigating to protect the environment, filing cases to protect civil rights, and prosecuting homicides.    

Garrett Martin is President and CEO of Maine Center for Economic Policy. Mr. Martin has extensive experience in economic research, policy development, community economic development, and philanthropic fund management. He is a Truman Scholar and holds a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University with a concentration in economics and public policy analysis. 

Anna Kellar grew up in Maine before earning a BA in Political Science from Yale University and a Masters in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics. Their experience with democracy and anti-corruption campaigns in Eastern Europe and Central Asia makes them all the more committed to preserving and strengthening civil society and grassroots democracy in Maine. In 2017, Anna was appointed as the first joint Executive Director for MCCE and the League of Women Voters of Maine. Democracy Maine is a collaboration between three nonpartisan organizations — League of Women Voters of Maine, Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, and Maine Students Vote — that partner on advocacy and education efforts.