U.S. Term Limits announced on October 30, 2026, that former Maine State Senator and Bangor Mayor Joe Baldacci has agreed to serve as Maine State Chair for the organization. Baldacci brings decades of public service, community leadership, and firsthand experience with state and local government to the effort to enact congressional term limits and bring greater accountability to Washington, D.C.
A longtime supporter of congressional term limits as part of broader political reform, Baldacci believes limiting the amount of time members of Congress can remain in office is an important step toward protecting representative government and ensuring elected officials remain accountable to the people they serve.
“I am honored to serve as Maine State Chair for U.S. Term Limits and to help advance congressional term limits,” said Baldacci. “Public service should be about serving your neighbors and your community—not building a lifetime career in Washington. Term limits can help bring new voices, fresh ideas, and greater accountability to Congress.”
Baldacci’s appointment matters because it signals a renewed push in Maine for a constitutional amendment to limit congressional terms, a reform that supporters argue is needed to break entrenched political power and restore public trust. His extensive background in local and state government, including four terms on the Bangor City Council, two terms as mayor, and three terms in the Maine State Senate, lends credibility to the movement. During his time in the Legislature, Baldacci focused on issues affecting seniors, health care, teachers, property taxpayers, and working families, and he chaired both the State and Local Government Committee and the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.
“Throughout my career in local and state government, I have seen the importance of elected officials staying connected to the people they represent,” Baldacci continued. “Maine people expect their government to work for them, not for powerful special interests or entrenched political insiders. Congressional term limits are an important part of restoring that balance.”
Philip Blumel, President of U.S. Term Limits, welcomed Baldacci’s leadership. “We are honored to have Joe Baldacci leading our efforts in Maine,” Blumel said. “Joe brings extensive experience at both the local and state levels of government and a deep understanding of what genuine public service means. His commitment to accountability and citizen government makes him a strong advocate for congressional term limits. We are confident his leadership will help build tremendous momentum for term limits reform throughout Maine.”
U.S. Term Limits describes itself as the nation’s largest grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to establishing term limits at all levels of government, particularly for the U.S. Congress. The organization works with citizens and lawmakers across the country to advance constitutional reforms that increase accountability, encourage citizen legislators, and restore trust in government. Baldacci’s appointment is a notable addition to that effort, bringing a well-known Maine political figure into the national debate over congressional tenure.
Baldacci concluded, “People across the political spectrum recognize that Washington needs reform. Congressional term limits are a commonsense reform that can help restore trust in government and ensure that public office remains a public service. I look forward to working with Mainers across our state to build support for this effort.”
