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'''Olympia J. Snowe''' (b. 1947) is a [[Republican]] United States Senator from [[Maine]]. She is a [[liberal]] on many current issues and calls herself a moderate. She supports [[abortion]], [[gay]] rights and amnesty for Illegal Aliens. In fiscal matters and on defense, Snowe is generally [[conservative]]. She is a supporter of [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] and voted for the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) of 2002, although she disagreed with the size of the tax cuts. Snowe began her career in national politics in 1978 when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Since then she has never lost an election. In 2006, she was named one of "America's Top Ten Senators" by Time Magazine. She has high approval ratings in here home state of Maine and is the wife of former Governor John R. McKernan, Jr.  

'''Olympia J. Snowe''' (b. 1947) is a [[Republican]] United States Senator from [[Maine]]. She is a liberal on many current issues and calls herself a moderate. She supports [[abortion]], [[gay]] rights and amnesty for Illegal Aliens. In fiscal matters and on defense, Snowe is generally [[conservative]]. She is a supporter of [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] and voted for the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) of 2002, although she disagreed with the size of the tax cuts. Snowe began her career in national politics in 1978 when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Since then she has never lost an election. In 2006, she was named one of "America's Top Ten Senators" by Time Magazine. She has high approval ratings in here home state of Maine and is the wife of former Governor John R. McKernan, Jr.  

==Early life==  

==Early life==  

==Political career==  

==Political career==  

Snowe has been very successful in politics. She won a seat on the Board of Voter Registration and working for Congressman (later U.S. [[Senator]] and U.S. [[Secretary of Defense]]) [[William Cohen]]. She later ran for the Maine House of Representatives at the age of 26 and won. She was re-elected to the House in 1974, and, in 1976, won election to the Maine Senate, representing Androscoggin County. That same year, she was a delegate to both the state and national Republican conventions. Snowe was elected to the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] in 1978, and represented Maine's 2nd Congressional District from 1979 to 1995. She served as a member of the Budget and International Relations Committees. Snowe married John McKernan, then-[[Governor]] of Maine, in February 1989. Snowe and McKernan had served together in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1986. Snowe was [[First Lady]] of Maine from 1989 to 1995, while also a U.S. Representative.

Snowe has been very successful in politics. She won a seat on the Board of Voter Registration and working for Congressman [[William Cohen]]. She ran for the Maine House of Representatives at the age of 26 and won. She was re-elected to the House in 1974, and, in 1976, won election to the Maine Senate, representing Androscoggin County. That same year, she was a delegate to both the state and national Republican conventions. Snowe was elected to the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] in 1978, and represented Maine's 2nd Congressional District from 1979 to 1995. She served as a member of the Budget and International Relations Committees. Snowe married John McKernan, then-Governor of Maine, in February 1989. Snowe and McKernan had served together in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1986.  

==United States Senate==

==United States Senate==

In 1994, when [[Senate]] [[Majority Leader]] [[George J. Mitchell]] declined to run for reelection, Snowe declared her candidacy for the seat. The Democratic nominee was her House colleague, 1st District Congressman Tom Andrews. Snowe defeated Andrews 60%-36%, carrying every county in the state. Making her part of the "Republican Revolution," where the Republican party captured the House and Senate for the first time since 1954. Snowe was easily reelected in 2000 over State Senate President Mark Lawrence, increasing her winning margin to 69%-31%. And in 2006, Senator Snowe won a third term with 74% of the vote, second-largest margin of any U.S. Senate candidate in the country. In April 2006, Snowe was selected by Time as one of "America's 10 Best Senators." Time praised Snowe for her sensitivity to her constituents, also noting that: "Because of her centrist views and eagerness to get beyond partisan point scoring, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe is in the center of every policy debate in [[Washington]]." She is the fourth woman to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the first to chair its seapower subcommittee, which oversees the [[Navy]] and [[Marine]] Corps. In 2001, Snowe became the first Republican woman to secure a full-term seat on the Senate Finance Committee. n the 110th Congress, Sen. Snowe is the ranking member of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee.

In 1994, when Senate [[Majority Leader]] [[George J. Mitchell]] declined to run for reelection, Snowe declared her candidacy for the seat. The Democratic nominee was her House colleague, 1st District Congressman Tom Andrews. Snowe defeated Andrews 60%-36%, carrying every county in the state. Making her part of the "Republican Revolution," where the Republican party captured the House and Senate for the first time since 1954. Snowe was easily reelected in 2000 over State Senate President Mark Lawrence, increasing her winning margin to 69%-31%. And in 2006, Senator Snowe won a third term with 74% of the vote, second-largest margin of any U.S. Senate candidate in the country. In April 2006, Snowe was selected by Time as one of "America's 10 Best Senators." Time praised Snowe for her sensitivity to her constituents, also noting that: "Because of her centrist views and eagerness to get beyond partisan point scoring, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe is in the center of every policy debate in Washington." She is the fourth woman to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the first to chair its seapower subcommittee, which oversees the Navy and Marine Corps. In 2001, Snowe became the first Republican woman to secure a full-term seat on the Senate Finance Committee. n the 110th Congress, Sen. Snowe is the ranking member of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee.

==Political views==  

==Political views==  

[[Category:Republican Party]]

[[Category:Republican Party]]

[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]

[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]