Dan Ankeles

Dan Ankeles was born in Peabody, Massachusetts. Ankeles earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago in 2004. His career experience includes working as a state representative, public radio producer, field organizer, and legislative aide.[1][2]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a former journalist, Brunswick town councilor and legislative staffer who is seeking a second term in the Maine House of Representatives. During my first term, I was able to pass three bills, including a law to make it easier to get grant money to repair Brunswick Landing infrastructure. I also helped unclog Maine's courts and attacked cyclical poverty by reforming Maine's Operating After Suspension laws. And I successfully passed an expansion of Maine's working waterfront property tax relief program. All three laws received unanimous bipartisan support.

Along with others, I used my position on the Transportation Committee to help guarantee the authorization of the Mountain Division Rail trail, which will be an incredible benefit for Western Maine. I was the key House member that got that through the House, and I was honored to assist the Maine DOT in that effort. I also helped shepherd the Trails Bond toward a unanimous committee vote, despite a difficult political climate when it comes to bonding.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I was able to help Maine fund $72 million in diverse classes of new housing, including creating Maine's first rent-relief program, supporting mobile home park residents wanting to form a co-op and preventing low-barrier shelters from shutting down.

In 2025, I'm looking forward to focusing on removing all toxic firefighting foam permanently from Brunswick Landing and from most of Maine.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I'm always accessible and open to communicating with constituents.I support the rights of women to make their own health care decisions and believe more generally that healthcare itself is a right and not a privilege.I ran in part to help integrate the former Naval airbase into the rest of Brunswick, and now that work becomes even more important in the wake of the worst AFFF spill in Maine history. We must mandate the foam's removal, conduct a full statewide inventory of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, and create a statewide AFFF takeback and disposal program similar to what New Hampshire has.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Trail expansion, bike and pedestrian safety, climate resilience, reducing towns' dependence on regressive property taxation, solving both the housing and the workforce shortages.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my dad and grandfather, who both have fought for their communities in different ways. Their sense of social and economic justice is extraordinarily strong, and I hope I can emulate them through my work.

I look up to Presidents Obama and Biden, who were both successful in very different ways in changing this country for the better. I also look up to Nancy Pelosi because of how effective she was at counting votes and using power to achieve gains for working families across the nation.

These days, I admire the three remaining liberal justices on the Supreme Court, all of whom are penning powerful dissenting opinions that will one day become the basis for overturning many of the terrible rulings of the Roberts Court.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I would recommend reading the Art of Power, by Nancy Pelosi. It's doesn't talk so much about how-to exercise power, but why to exercise it: ensuring we leave this place better than we found it for future generations. The book makes the case for progressive values via using and championing our most cherished government institutions. Like Speaker Emerita Pelosi, I am an institutionalist, because that's how I believe you can do the most good for the most people.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Accessibility and the ability to communicate are so important, especially the further down the ballot you go. I represent only 9,000 people, and it's important that every single one of them knows they can talk to me, ask me questions, tell me off or get navigating state government, no matter what their political affiliation.

If you fight a hard-fought political battle, and you end up burning a bridge, you have to be willing to rebuild that bridge from scratch. If you can avoid burning bridges on either side of the aisle, that's even better. I haven't always lived up to that, but I'm someone who people know wears his heart on his sleeve and will go to extraordinary lengths to pass policies that help others.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have a strong work ethic, I never leave the table, and I build large coalitions to get things done. I am patient but also passionate, and I have very little tolerance for BS.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A good representative will stay true to their dual oaths to both the Maine and the US Constitutions. They will keep constituents safe, serve them well when they reach out for help, protect their freedoms, and foster their economic and social well-being. They must work hard to make sure government is effective and efficient as possible and that it is a champion for justice. Elected officials must sometimes exercise forbearance, but the default setting cannot be "wouldn't it be better if we just did nothing?" You see that way too often in elected officials too afraid or too skeptical to try something new.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A Brunswick that is cleaner and healthier than it is right now.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I watched the first Gulf War on CNN when I was just a kid. They had never broadcast an actual war on cable television before.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a teenager and I worked for a couple summers in a video rental store. Those no longer exist.

What is your favorite book? Why?

A Confederacy of Dunces. It's not just a great and funny work of literature, but - even though it's not about politics - it's a great reminder that most people in politics take themselves way too seriously.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec. She gets stuff done, and she never gives up no matter how long it takes.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Good Luck Babe by Chappell Roan.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I've always just felt the weight on the world on me no matter what. Sometimes it's hard to pull back, keep my head down and power through.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Ideally we should be collaborative when possible, but we also as legislators are responsible for correcting the executive branch when it is wrong and holding them accountable when they fail.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

A housing shortage, a shortage of workers, especially across all the health professions and the threat climate change poses to our coast and all our heritage industries like our fisheries and our forests.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. Before I joined the House, I had nine years as a legislative aide and five years as a town councilor. Because of that, I already knew the budget process and the legislative process. That enabled me to get bills passed and get two powerful committee posts that I have used in the service of my community and all the people of Maine.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. None of the work I have done would have succeeded without the working relationships and the friendships I have built over the years. It's the only way to build trust, and trust is the only way to achieve bipartisan results.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Sen. Peggy Rontundo is my hero and my mentor. She's the current State Senator from Lewiston and an expert on budgeting. She makes the tough calls when money is tight, but she also knows how to squeeze as much out of a budget as anyone in Maine. She stands up for our most vulnerable in a way that makes me proud to serve alongside her.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Maybe someday I would run for the Maine Senate once Senator Daughtry terms out, but that's as far as I'd ever be willing to go. My home and family are here in Brunswick, and I love my community dearly.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

It's not an individual story but a group of stories: older Mainers on fixed incomes and middle class families telling me that their property valuation and property tax rate have gone up so much that they are in danger of being priced out of their homes. It is what keeps me committed to the notion that Maine's tax code MUST reflect people's ability to pay. Right now, that doesn't happen, and both parties need to start taking this on rather than treating it like some political third rail.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

I think the Legislature should be allowed to step in under certain circumstances if we feel that emergency powers are being abused. I have not felt the present administration has done anything that would even come close to rising to that level though, even during COVID.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

Please see above my three bills to help rid Brunswick and Maine of AFFF toxic firefighting foam.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Pretty much all of the progressive ones.

What committees interest you?

I have been so happy to serve on both the Transportation and Appropriations Committees, and I'm the only freshman to serve on both committees that deal with state budgets. Both committees are where transportation, climate, housing and workforce development all meet.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I don't need a long answer for this. We should always have full fiscal transparency and protect all the state offices charged with carrying out audits and investigations of government offices, programs and offshoots.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I think we should keep things as they are.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I began my career as a public radio producer for a show that covered public policy. After I while, I came to realize that just reporting on problems wasn't enough, and so I changed careers and became an organizer for the Maine Democratic Party. Through that work, I helped defend voting rights and restore Democratic majorities in the Maine Legislature. For the past nine years I worked as a legislative aide in the House Democratic Office, where I helped members advance priorities that improved life for our constituents. I left that position at the end of 2021 to run for the open House seat here in central Brunswick.

Locally, I have chaired our local recreation commission, volunteered as a soccer coach and participated on committees to improve policing, welcome new Mainers to Brunswick and improve public water access.

Right now I serve as an at-large member and the new vice chair of our Town Council, a deeply rewarding job that has brought opportunities to bring greater transparency and a real sense of optimism to the work of local government. I’m proud to say that, in my years on the Council, I have never once missed a meeting or a vote, and I always do my best to respond to people who reach out to me and bring more people into local government.

My wife, Cat, and I have lived in town 11 years, and together we are raising our children, Sam and Lucy, in the Brunswick school system.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The reasons I stepped away from being an aide to running for the Legislature was first - I feel like if I don’t try to do something to heal our overheated planet, to close the wealth gap, to stop the people who want to end our democracy, and to make sure everyone has ready access to basics like healthcare, education without crippling debt and housing, then I’m failing my kids and everyone in the generations that are coming into the world and making it even harder for them to live the lives they deserve to live.And second, I’m running because Brunswick is facing some both specific and universal problems that requires an advocate who knows how to work with both state and local governments: Problems like the aging stormwater system at Brunswick Landing, which needs the state to step in to help with a major overhaul that will clean up the PFOS chemicals embedded inside and flowing into Harpswell cove. The cost and supply of housing, which - together with climate change - is the number one thing I’ve been hearing as I knock on doors. The way our state’s regressive tax code is erasing Brunswick’s economic diversity and harming seniors on fixed incomes. The heartbreaking number of people we are losing to overdoses.Advocating for Brunswick in the Legislature is an honor and a great challenge. So is making sure Maine does right by everyone who lives here, resists attempts by the powerful to divide and dilute our collective strength, and sets an example for this country that you succeed through fairness, justice and policies that lift all of us up.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The number one thing I am hearing after having knocked on more than 1000 doors in my district is a growing fear over the cost of housing and the lack of supply.

We know that Maine has a deficit of 25,000 attainably priced units, and we know that renters are either seeing increases that outpace any wage growth or - and this is happening right in the heart of my district - building owners are simply deciding to convert rentals to condos so they can flip them in an overheated market. Here in Brunswick, we are in the midst of a building boom, but nearly all new units are market rate. Yes, it’s always good to take pressure off the supply crunch, but that is too indirect an approach to work all by itself. And by the way, as if it weren’t complex enough, we also face the danger of the housing crisis being used as a means to further divide immigrant and non-immigrant populations.

The state must aggressively fund new affordably priced units, and not just with one-time money, but through a sustainable and reliable funding source. The state needs to enact and follow up on LD 2003. It should help launch local land banks (land trusts but for housing), fund rental assistance, regulate Air B&Bs, and make sure housing vouchers are actually large enough to be usable. We know the positive ripple effects of stable housing. Investing heavily in it isn’t just the right thing to do morally speaking; the public policy and budgetary benefits are very clear as well.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

We are a separate branch of government, and we should never lose our independence regardless of what party occupies the Blaine House. I'm proud to support many of Governor Mills' policies, but there are areas where there is respectful disagreement. I value the separation of powers as a means of keeping our democratic institutions healthy.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, this is an essential part of the kind of coalition building we need to pass major policies.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Maine's current process is good as is because we require 2/3 majorities to draw new maps. This discourages partisan gerrymandering.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I am hoping to serve on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee to continue our outgoing representative's work on climate action, PFOS response and strong product stewardship laws.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

We should not be afraid to accept that sometimes there is common ground right in front of us. We also shouldn't be compromising for its own sake if the compromise doesn't actually help solve a problem. Bipartisanship needs to be a means to a good public policy end, not an end in and of itself. That doesn't mean elected officials shouldn't be civil, act consistently in good faith and build relationships with colleagues of all political affiliations. I'm proud of having done that. But I'm also proud to be a strong progressive who is very clear eyed about the structural barriers holding Maine families back.