Kiernan Majerus-Collins

Kiernan Majerus-Collins graduated from William Hall High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Bates College in 2018 and a law degree from the Boston University School of Law in 2024. His career experience includes working as an attorney.[1]

Maine House of Representatives District 95

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an immigration and civil rights lawyer running for the Maine House of Representatives in District 95. A graduate of Bates College and Boston University School of Law, I previously served as a member of the Lewiston School Committee.

After law school, and my service as a judicial law clerk to Judge Stephanie K. Seymour of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, I returned home to Lewiston to start a law practice focused on serving poor and working class people. I work every day to protect the civil and constitutional rights of my friends and neighbors in Lewiston.

In my free time, I enjoy reading American history, rooting for the Red Sox, and singing in my church choir.

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?

Cost of living: I understand how expensive it is just to get by. I will work to lower the cost of living and raise wages to help working Mainers. As a state lawmaker, I will oppose energy price increases and support new clean energy projects to lower Mainers' electric bills. I'll also introduce legislation to raise the minimum wage to $20 per hour, because hard work deserves good pay.Immigrant rights: Immigrants are under attack from a lawless Trump administration, and Maine needs to do everything possible to fight back. I will support legislation to ban police and jails from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement and work to provide a free lawyer to every immigrant in Maine facing deportation proceedings.Affordable housing: As a renter, I know how expensive it is to get decent housing in Maine. I'll work to lower the cost of housing by making it easier to build new, higher-density housing throughout the state. I will also support efforts to strengthen tenants' rights and sponsor a constitutional amendment establishing a right to housing.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

In addition to the above-mentioned issues, I am personally passionate about climate change and education.

I believe that climate change is the most serious threat facing the world today and that Maine must do its part to address this issue. I support an immediate ban on coal as an energy source in Maine. I will also fight for free public buses across Maine and a passenger train from Portland to Lewiston, because public transportation is critical to reducing carbon pollution.

As a former Lewiston School Committee member and a former elementary school librarian, public education is personal to me. Investing in public schools is the best way we can build a better future for all Mainers. I will always stand with students and teachers.

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

I would like to follow the example of Representative Mana Abdi, the incumbent. Rep. Abdi is a history-making trailblazer, and a fierce advocate for District 95. I am honored to have her endorsement in this race, and I hope to carry on her important work.

Beyond Rep. Abdi, one of my biggest political heroes is Edmund Muskie. A fellow Bates alumnus and lawyer, Muskie served Maine as governor and U.S. senator. In office, he championed environmental protection and civil rights, two causes near to my heart.

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

The characteristics most important for an elected official are courage, curiosity, and humility. We need our elected officials to be courageous in standing for what they believe is right even when subjected to intense pressure. They should be curious about the people they represent and the world they are shaping, and be eager to listen and learn new information. And they need to be humble enough to recognize that they do not have all the answers.

The principles that are most important for an elected official to believe in are the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and an abiding commitment to justice, equity, and compassion. We need leaders who recognize that everyone has moral value and everyone counts.

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

The first and most important responsibility of someone elected to the Maine House of Representatives is to vote. As a member of the Lewiston School Committee, I never missed a vote, and that will be my goal in the Maine House as well. My constituents deserve representation at every possible moment.

Beyond simply voting, someone elected to this office needs to listen. A representative should be willing to listen to anyone they represent. I will listen to and take seriously the perspective of every constituent who reaches out to me, and I will proactively seek out the perspectives of those who don't.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope that my legacy in the Maine House will be one of accomplishment for my constituents and the people of Maine such that life in this state is fairer, freer, longer, healthier, and happier.

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

My first job was working on a referendum campaign to support clean water infrastructure. Since I was only hired to work on Election Day, it barely counts. My second job was as a historic interpreter at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, where I gave tours of Stowe's house and occasionally ran the gift shop. I worked in that job part-time for nearly two years.

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

I grew up lower middle class, the son of union workers in a struggling industry. I qualified for Medicaid and received free and reduced lunch as a child and Pell grants as a college student. I know what economic precarity means because I lived it as a working class kid.

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

The ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature is one of collaboration, accountability, and mutual respect. Each represents a coequal branch of state government, and should be treated accordingly.

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

Like every state, Maine faces two existential challenges over the next decade: artificial intelligence and climate change. AI poses a serious threat to everyone on the planet, and we should be implementing badly-needed safeguards now, before it's too late. As for climate change, Maine can and should take the lead in reducing carbon pollution to preserve the state we know and love.

In addition to the above, as a rural state, Maine faces a particular crisis in healthcare access. Mainers deserve the ability to access the health care services they need regardless of their incomes or geographic location.

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

Compromise is absolutely necessary. It is far better to get part of what you want than to hold out for everything and get nothing. I will approach legislative service with the goal of working with my colleagues, even when we don't agree on every issue.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have been endorsed by the following organizations and individuals:

-Our Revolution (founded as a continuation of Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign)

-College Democrats of America

-Run for Something

-Center for Freethought Equality

-The Outrun Coalition

-Community Action Alliance

-Former Maine Senator Jim Handy

-Maine Representative Mana Abdi

-Maine Representative Deqa Dhalac

-Former Maine Representative Roger Fuller

-Androscoggin County Commissioner Shukri Abdirahman

-Former Lewiston Mayor Larry Gilbert

-Lewiston City Councilor Chrissy Noble

-Former Lewiston City Councilor Safiya Khalid

-Former Lewiston City Councilor Iman Osman

-Lewiston School Committee Member Lynnea Hawkins

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

I have a few scattered memories of the 2000 election, but the first historical event I remember with any clarity was 9/11. I was six years old.