Shanna Cox

Shanna Cox earned a high school diploma from the George Stevens Academy and a bachelor's degree from the University of Maine in 2015. Her career experience includes working as a business owner and president.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Shanna Cox knows what it means to work hard and still struggle to find stability. As a young parent, she and her family did everything they were told was “right” — working hard, buying a modest home, and planning for the future. When the housing market collapsed, they fell through the cracks, facing rising costs, job loss, and uncertainty despite doing their best.

At 29, she made the difficult decision to start over as a single parent with three young children. She worked nights to make ends meet, worried about stability, and learned firsthand how hard it can be to get ahead when systems don’t work the way they should. Asking for help through programs like MaineCare and Head Start didn’t make her dependent — it made it possible to work, build a career, and give her kids a more secure future.

Shanna is a longtime community and economic development leader and small business owner in Lewiston. She has spent her career bringing people together across differences to solve real problems — supporting employers, strengthening neighborhoods, and helping communities navigate change.

She believes dignity, stability, and opportunity should not depend on luck or perfect timing — and that systems should work for people who are doing their best.

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?

People who work hard should be able to afford the basics and build a stable future.

Too many families in Lewiston and across Maine are working harder than ever and still struggling to get ahead. Housing costs are high, groceries are expensive, childcare is hard to find, and everyday expenses keep rising. For many people, stability feels out of reach — even when they’re doing everything right.

Shanna believes affordability is not about one silver bullet. It’s about understanding how costs stack up in real life — and making thoughtful, practical choices that help people keep more of what they earn and plan for the future.Everyone deserves a safe, healthy place to live — and neighborhoods should be places where families can thrive.

Over the past decade, Lewiston has made real progress on housing. Conditions are safer than they were fifteen years ago, investment is happening at a scale we haven’t seen before, and new housing — affordable, workforce, and market-rate — is being added across the community.

Shanna Cox believes it’s important to recognize that progress — and to build on it. Strong housing policy is about sustaining what’s working while addressing what’s next, so communities can grow in a healthy, stable way.Healthcare should be accessible, affordable, and centered on trust between people and their doctors.

Healthcare touches every family at some point — whether it’s routine care, a sudden emergency, mental health support, or caring for a loved one. When care is hard to access or too expensive, it creates stress, uncertainty, and long-term consequences for families and communities.

Shanna believes healthcare works best when people can get the care they need, when they need it — without politics or bureaucracy standing in the way.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Shanna is most passionate about housing, economic development, and community development as areas of policy to move us forward.

In our current climate, maintaining state independence and Mainers' freedom from the policies of the federal administration, as well as preserving voting access and rights, are key issue areas that the Maine Legislature will have to contend with in for the coming years.

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

Integrity and the ability to listen.