The residents of Maine elected Olympia Snowe to represent the state in the United States Senate. Senator Snowe’s political career began early, when she was in her late 20s. Her husband had been a prominent member of the Maine House of Representatives. Following a tragic accident that killed her husband, Snowe ran to acquire his seat in the House, and was elected to this position. She served on the Maine House of Representatives for three terms.
Subsequently, she was selected to serve on the Maine Senate. In 1978, Senator Olympia Snowe was chosen to serve in the United States House of Representatives. She was a prominent member of the House for an extensive period of time. In 1994, Senator Olympia Snowe was elected to serve on the United States Senate.
Since her initial election to the U.S. Senate, Senator Snowe has been reelected to serve multiple terms. She is recognized for her influence over Senators and often plays a major role in the final outcome of close Senate votes. She is a Republican Senator, however, her views are considered to be relatively moderate. Senator Olympia Snowe is considered to be one of the best Senators currently serving on the U.S. Senate, and she was named such by the nationally recognized magazine, Time.
Senator Snowe is a member of the Finance Committee, the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Select Committee on Intelligence. She is also a ranking member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and the Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee.