Mark Lawrence (politician)

Mark W. Lawrence (born 1958) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician currently serving in the Maine Senate. Lawrence represents Senate District 35, comprising the towns of Eliot, Kittery, Ogunquit, South Berwick, York and part of Berwick. Lawrence was born in Kittery and attended Bowdoin College and the University of Maine School of Law where he was elected to his first term in the Maine House of Representatives. He has served a total of three terms in the Maine House and is serving his sixth nonconsecutive term in the Maine Senate, where he served as president from 1996 to 2000. Lawrence was the 2000 Democratic United States Senate nominee, challenging incumbent Olympia Snowe, and in 2008 he unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for Maine's 1st congressional district. Lawrence pursued private law practice for 14 years before becoming the York County District Attorney from 2003 to 2010. In 2010, he returned to private practice and operates the Lawrence Law Firm out of Kittery.

Mark W. Lawrence
Member of the Maine Senate
from the 35th district
Assumed office
December 5, 2018
Preceded byDawn Hill
In office
December 2, 1992 – December 6, 2000
Preceded byStephen C. Estes
Succeeded byKenneth F. Lemont
Member of the Maine House of Representatives
from the 2nd district
In office
December 7, 2016 – December 5, 2018
Preceded byRoberta Beavers
Succeeded byMichelle Meyer
Member of the Maine House of Representatives
from the 1st district
In office
December 7, 1988 – December 2, 1992
Preceded byFrederick F. Soucy
Succeeded byKenneth F. Lemont
Personal details
Born1958
Kittery, Maine
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseTina
Children2
ResidenceSouth Berwick, Maine
Alma materBowdoin College (BA)
University of Maine (JD)
ProfessionLawyer
Websitelawrence.mainecandidate.com

Early life and education

Lawrence grew up in Kittery, Maine.[1] His father, Irving Lawrence, worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard[2] and his mother was a typesetter[3]. He attended Kittery Public Schools[4] and received a Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College[5] and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law.[5]

Career

Maine legislature

During his second year of law school, Lawrence was elected to the Maine House of Representatives. He served two terms in the House from 1988 until 1992 and four terms in the Maine Senate from 1992 until 2000.[1] Lawrence was elected president of the 118th Maine Senate in December 1996[6] and president of the 119th Maine Senate in December 1998.[4][7] In November 2016, he was again elected to the Maine House, and in 2018 he returned to the Maine Senate and was re-elected in 2020.[8]

Congressional runs

Lawrence was the 2000 Democratic challenger to incumbent Olympia Snowe in the 2000 U.S. Senate election, but lost to Snowe 69%-31%.[9] In 2008, he ran for the Democratic nomination for Maine's 1st congressional district but was defeated in the primary.[10][11]

Law practice

Lawrence spent 14 years in private law practice before being appointed by Maine Governor John Baldacci to replace York County District Attorney Michael Cantara, who had been tapped to serve as the state's public safety commissioner. Lawrence was elected to the position in 2004 and 2006, but withdrew from the 2010 race in July of that year. He returned to private practice and currently operates The Lawrence Law Firm in Kittery.[10]

Personal life

Lawrence lives in Eliot, Maine with his wife Tina and two daughters, Céline and Hayley.[1]

Electoral history

Maine House of Representatives

1988

1990

2016 Maine House District 2 Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark W. Lawrence 342 53.9%
Democratic Kimberly Richards 239 37.6%
Democratic Gary Sinden 54 8.5%
Total votes 635 100%
2016 Maine House District 2 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark W. Lawrence 3,116 54.9%
Republican Jonathan Moynahan 2,561 45.1%
Total votes 5,677 100.0%

[8]

Maine State Senate

1992

1994

1996

1998

2018 Maine Senate District 35 Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark W. Lawrence 4,104 100%
Total votes 4,104 100.0%
2018 Maine Senate District 35 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark W. Lawrence 13,408 62.5%
Republican Michael Estes 8,050 37.5%
Total votes 21,458 100%
2020 Maine Senate District 35 Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark W. Lawrence 6,031 100%
Total votes 6,031 100%
2020 Maine House District 35 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark W. Lawrence 17,099 62.6%
Republican Bradley Moulton 10,204 37.4%
Total votes 27,303 100%

[8]

United States Senate, 2000
2000 United States Senate Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark W. Lawrence 26,543 100.0%
Total votes 26,543 100.0%
2000 United States Senate General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Olympia Snowe 437,689 68.9%
Democratic Mark W. Lawrence 197,183 31.1%
Total votes 634,872 100.0%

[9]

1st Congressional district, 2008
2008 Maine 1st Congressional District Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chellie Pingree 24,324 43.9%
Democratic Adam Roland Cote 15,706 28.4%
Democratic Michael F. Brennan 6,040 10.9%
Democratic Ethan King Strimling 5,833 10.5%
Democratic Mark W. Lawrence 2,726 4.9%
Democratic Stephen J. Meister 753 1.4%
Total votes 55,382 100%

[11]

References
  1. "Mark Lawrence". Maine Senate Democrats. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  2. Outcalt, Chris (17 May 2007). "Mark Lawrence announces run for Congress". Seacoast Online. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  3. "About Mark". Re-Elect Mark Lawrence. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  4. "Mark W. Lawrence". Maine Senate. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  5. Barndollar, Hadley (8 October 2020). "Lawrence, Moulton face-off for Maine Senate District 35 seat". Seacoast Online. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  6. "Senate Legislative Record, One Hundred And Eighteenth Legislature, State Of Maine" (pdf). Maine State Legislature. December 4, 1996. p. 6.
  7. "Past Presidents of the Senate". Maine State Legislature. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  8. "Mark Lawrence (Maine)". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  9. "Federal Elections 2000" (PDF). FEC.gov. June 2001. p. 62. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  10. Hench, David (13 July 2010). "Lawrence pulls out from fall election". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  11. "Federal Elections 2008" (PDF). FEC.gov. July 2009. p. 114. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
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