Charlie Summers | |
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48th Secretary of State of Maine | |
In office January 5, 2011 – January 7, 2013 |
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Governor | Paul LePage |
Preceded by | Matthew Dunlap |
Succeeded by | Matthew Dunlap |
Member of the Maine Senate from the 31st district |
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In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1995 |
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Preceded by | Barry Hobbins |
Succeeded by | Joan Pendexter |
Personal details | |
Born |
Danville, Illinois, U.S. |
December 26, 1959
Political party | Republican |
Alma mater |
Black Hawk College University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign |
Charles E. "Charlie" Summers, Jr. (born December 26, 1959) is an American politician, businessman, Iraq War veteran and member of the Republican Party from the state of Maine. A member of the Maine Senate from 1991 to 1995, Summers ran for the Republican nomination for Maine's 1st congressional district in 1994, coming second in the primary. He was the nominee for the same seat in 2004 and 2008, losing on each occasion to the Democratic candidate. From 2011 to 2013 served as the Secretary of State of Maine. He was the Republican nominee for the U.S Senate to succeed the retiring Republican Olympia Snowe in the 2012 election, but lost to former Independent Governor Angus King.
He was born in Danville, Illinois in 1959 . His family moved to Kewanee, Illinois where he grew up. In 1978 graduated from Kewanee High School in 1978 Kewanee. He earned an AA from Blackhawk College and a BS in Leisure Studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1984. After college he moved to Bangor, Maine where became the Assistant Manager of the Bangor Motor Inn. He and his late wife, Dr. Debra J. Summers, Ph.D., later moved to southern Maine where he worked as part of the management team of the South Portland Motor Inn. He later opened his own small business, "Charlie's Beverage Warehouse", in Biddeford, Maine.
Summers was State Director for United States Senator Olympia Snowe from 1995-2004. He has served in various elected and appointed political positions, most recently (March 2005 - June 2007) as the New England Regional Administrator (Region I) for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). He monitored oversight of SBA's Financing, Marketing, and Outreach efforts in Offices from six states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.