Sharri MacDonald
{{Short description|American politician}}
Sharri MacDonald (born {{Birth based on age as of date|48|2020|October|8|noage=1}}){{Cite news |last=Gotthelf |first=Liz |date=October 8, 2020 |title=Gramlich, MacDonald compete for State House District 13 seat |work=The Saco Bay News |url=https://sacobaynews.com/gramlich,-macdonald-compete-for-state-house-district-13-seat-p630-1.htm |access-date=April 26, 2022}} is an American politician from Maine. She served in the city council of Old Orchard Beach until 2013, when she was recalled after a controversial vote in the council to terminate Old Orchard Beach's Town Manager. She served in the Maine House of Representatives from 2012 to 2014 from District 132, as a member of the Republican Party.{{Cite news|date=October 8, 2020|title=Sharri MacDonald, Maine House 13|work=Portland Press Herald|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/10/08/sharri-macdonald-maine-house-13/|access-date=September 9, 2021|archive-date=September 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909222521/https://www.pressherald.com/2020/10/08/sharri-macdonald-maine-house-13/|url-status=live}}
Career
= Old Orchard Beach City Council =
== Recall ==
{{Infobox referendum|name=2013 Old Orchard Beach recall of Sharri MacDonald{{Cite web|last=Reid|first=Louise V.|date=June 17, 2013|title=The Old Orchard Beach Town Council Special Town Council Meeting Canvass And Certification Of Municipal Election Town Hall Chambers|url=https://www.oobmaine.com/Pages/OldOrchardBeachME_CouncilMin/2013%20Town%20Council%20Minutes/June%2017%2013%20Special%20minutes.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025141116/https://www.oobmaine.com/Pages/OldOrchardBeachME_CouncilMin/2013%20Town%20Council%20Minutes/June%2017%2013%20Special%20minutes.pdf|archive-date=October 25, 2014|access-date=August 31, 2019|website=Old Orchard Beach, Maine}}|yes=1385|no=748|total=2133}}
In March 2013, Town Manager Mark Pearson was terminated by a 4–3 vote of the Old Orchard Beach City Council, of which MacDonald was the chair.{{Cite news|date=March 13, 2013|title=Old Orchard Beach residents launch effort to recall councilors who voted to fire town manager|work=Bangor Daily News|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2013/03/13/news/old-orchard-beach-residents-launch-effort-to-recall-councilors-who-voted-to-fire-town-manager/|access-date=August 31, 2021|archive-date=September 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901055807/https://bangordailynews.com/2013/03/13/news/old-orchard-beach-residents-launch-effort-to-recall-councilors-who-voted-to-fire-town-manager/|url-status=live}} Disgruntled by the vote and lack of transparency, town citizens started a petition to recall the four members of the council who voted for the termination, including MacDonald. MacDonald commented that "People are upset, I understand", and said that she believes that "recalls lead to more divisiveness". In retaliation for the recall petition, another group started a recall petition against the three town members who had voted against Pearson's termination, meaning that all seven members of the Old Orchard Beach City Council were now facing a June recall election.{{Cite news|last=Graham|first=Gillian|date=March 15, 2013|title=Entire Old Orchard Beach council may face recall|work=Portland Press-Herald|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2013/03/15/second-recall-effort-launched-in-old-orchard-beach/|access-date=August 31, 2021|archive-date=September 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901055807/https://www.pressherald.com/2013/03/15/second-recall-effort-launched-in-old-orchard-beach/|url-status=live}} Six of the seven members on the council, including MacDonald, were recalled.{{Cite news|date=June 11, 2013|title=Maine election results: Old Orchard recalls 6 councilors, Rockland-area, Auburn reject school budgets|work=Bangor Daily News|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/11/news/bangor/maine-local-election-results-rockland-area-rejects-school-budget-old-orchard-recalls-6-councilors/|access-date=August 31, 2021|archive-date=September 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901055554/https://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/11/news/bangor/maine-local-election-results-rockland-area-rejects-school-budget-old-orchard-recalls-6-councilors/|url-status=live}}
= Maine House of Representatives =
MacDonald was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2012, defeating Roxanne Victoria Frenette with 53% of the vote. She was defeated by George Hogan in 2014. Later, she ran against Lori Gramlich in District 13 in 2018 and 2020, losing both times.
== Medicaid expansion ==
In 2013, MacDonald voted against a Medicaid expansion that she had previously voted for, one of only two Republicans to do so. The bill would have entered Maine in the Medicaid expansion program for three years, with the federal government covering the cost of the expansion.{{Cite news|last=Stone|first=Matthew|date=June 12, 2013|title=House Medicaid expansion compromise vote falls short of threshold to overcome LePage veto|work=Bangor Daily News|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/12/news/house-medicaid-expansion-compromise-vote-falls-short-of-threshold-to-overcome-lepage-veto/|access-date=September 9, 2021|archive-date=September 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909221455/https://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/12/news/house-medicaid-expansion-compromise-vote-falls-short-of-threshold-to-overcome-lepage-veto/|url-status=live}}
== Religious freedom ==
In February 2014, MacDonald was noted for being one of few Republicans to vote against a religious freedom bill that had originated in the Maine Senate. The bill would have prevented the state of Maine from passing a law that infringed upon religious freedom unless there was a "compelling state interest" to do so.{{Cite news|last=Cousins|first=Christopher|date=February 20, 2014|title=Maine House deals another blow to Republican senator’s ‘religious freedom’ bill|work=Bangor Daily News|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2014/02/20/news/maine-house-deals-another-blow-to-republican-senators-religious-freedom-bill/|access-date=September 9, 2021|archive-date=September 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909222526/https://bangordailynews.com/2014/02/20/news/maine-house-deals-another-blow-to-republican-senators-religious-freedom-bill/|url-status=live}}
== Economy ==
In 2013, MacDonald introduced a bill that would allow localities in Maine to increase the sales tax in their region, keeping the revenues. The bill passed 101-48 in the Maine House of Representatives, but failed in the Maine Senate.{{Cite news|last=Thistle|first=Scott|date=June 19, 2013|title=Maine Senate scuttles local option sales tax bill|work=Bangor Daily News|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/19/news/maine-senate-scuttles-local-option-sales-tax-bill/|access-date=September 9, 2021|archive-date=September 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910033218/https://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/19/news/maine-senate-scuttles-local-option-sales-tax-bill/|url-status=live}}
Electoral history
=2020=
{{Election box open primary begin no change
| title = 2020 Maine House of Representatives election, District 13{{Cite web|title=2020 election results in Maine|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results20.html#novtab|url-status=live|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=Government of Maine|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126152819/https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results20.html#novtab}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Sharri MacDonald
|votes = 340
|percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 340
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box open primary general election no change}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Lori Gramlich
|votes = 3,383
|percentage = 55.4%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Sharri MacDonald
|votes = 2,721
|percentage = 44.6%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 6,104
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box end}}
= 2018 =
{{Election box open primary begin no change
| title = 2018 Maine House of Representatives election, District 13{{Cite web|title=2018 election results in Maine|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results18.html#novtab|url-status=live|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=Government of Maine|archive-date=August 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820182950/https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results18.html#novtab}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Sharri MacDonald
|votes = 447
|percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 447
|percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box open primary general election no change}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Lori Gramlich
|votes = 2,775
|percentage = 59.5%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Sharri MacDonald
|votes = 1,889
|percentage = 40.5%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 4,664
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box end}}
= 2014 =
{{Election box begin no change
| title = 2014 Maine House of Representatives election, District 132{{Cite web|title=2014–2015 election results in Maine|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results14-15.html#june|url-status=live|access-date=September 9, 2021|website=Government of Maine|archive-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121191036/https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results14-15.html#june}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = George Hogan
|votes = 2,462
|percentage = 58.58%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Sharri MacDonald (Incumbent)
|votes = 1,741
|percentage = 41.42%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 4,203
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box end}}
= 2012 =
{{Election box open primary begin no change
| title = 2012 Maine House of Representatives election, District 132{{Cite web|title=2012 primary election results in Maine|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/2012-13/results12-13.html#june|url-status=live|access-date=August 31, 2021|website=Government of Maine|archive-date=August 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801235914/http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/prior12-13.htm#june}}{{Cite web|title=2012 general election results in Maine|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/2012-13/tabs-can-staterep-2012.html|url-status=live|access-date=August 31, 2021|website=Government of Maine|archive-date=September 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901060739/https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/2012-13/tabs-can-staterep-2012.html}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Sharri MacDonald
|votes = 329
|percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 329
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box open primary general election no change}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Sharri MacDonald
|votes = 2,591
|percentage = 52.56%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Roxanne Victoria Frenette
|votes = 2,296
|percentage = 46.59%
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
|party = Other
|candidate = Write-ins
|votes = 42
|percentage = 0.85%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 4,929
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Sharri}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Women state legislators in Maine
Category:People from Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Category:Women city councillors in Maine
Category:Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives
Category:21st-century American women politicians