Mike Michaud, 59, was raised in Medway, about 60 miles north of Bangor. The second oldest of six children, he grew up in a Catholic, Franco-American family. Michaud studied college preparatory classes at Schenk High School in East Millinocket. Although he dreamed of becoming a state trooper, Michaud went to work in the Great Northern Paper Co. mill after high school, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps.
In 1980, a 25-year-old Michaud decided to run for the Maine Legislature. His candidacy was driven by a desire to clean up the Penobscot River, which was being polluted by the mill.
After serving seven terms in the Maine House of Representatives, he was elected to the Maine Senate in 1994, defeating a millionaire incumbent. He served as a chairman of the Legislature’s budget writing committee and was unanimously elected Senate president in 2000.
Michaud continued to work in the mill until he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2003 to represent Maine’s rural and largely conservative 2nd District. He serves on the Transportation Committee and is a ranking member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Last fall, Michaud made national headlines when he announced that he is gay. If elected on Nov. 4, he would become the first openly gay candidate in the United States to become governor.
Michaud is single and currently lives in East Millinocket. He likes to garden and cut wood on his 6-acre lot in Medway.
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