Olympia J. Snowe
| Olympia Snowe | |
|---|---|
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| Chairwoman of the Senate Small Business Committee | |
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In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | John Kerry |
| Succeeded by | John Kerry |
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United States Senator from Maine |
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In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | George Mitchell |
| Succeeded by | Angus King |
| First Lady of Maine | |
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In office February 24, 1989 – January 8, 1995 |
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| Governor | John McKernan |
| Preceded by | Constance Brennan |
| Succeeded by | Mary Herman |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 2nd district |
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In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Cohen |
| Succeeded by | John Baldacci |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Olympia Jean Bouchles February 21, 1947 Augusta, Maine, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Peter Snowe (1969–1973) John McKernan (1989–present) |
| Alma mater | University of Maine, Orono |
| Religion | Eastern Orthodoxy |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Official website |
Olympia Jean Snowe (born February 21, 1947) is an American politician who was a United States Senator from Maine from 1995 to 2013. Snowe, a member of the Republican Party, became widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. In 2006, she was named one of America's Best Senators by Time Magazine. Snowe was famously known for her ability to compromise and her strong sense of bipartisanship. Along with Susan Collins, she was considered one of the most moderate Republicans in office.
On February 28, 2012, Snowe announced that she would not seek reelection in November 2012, and retired when her third term ended on January 3, 2013. She cited hyper-partisanship leading to a dysfunctional Congress as the reason for her retirement from the Senate. Her seat went to popular former Governor Angus King, a former Democrat and currently independent, who won the election to succeed her; King caucuses with the Democrats.
Snowe is currently a senior fellow for the Bipartisan Policy Center and co-chairs its Commission on Political Reform.
Snowe was born Olympia Jean Bouchles in Augusta, Maine, the daughter of Georgia (née Goranites) and George John Bouchles. Her father immigrated to the United States from Sparti, Greece, and her maternal grandparents were also Greek. She is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Snowe's early life had its share of tragedies. When she was eight years old, her mother died of breast cancer, and her father died of heart disease less than a year later. Orphaned, she was moved to Auburn, to be raised by her aunt and uncle, a textile mill worker and a barber, respectively, along with their five children. Her brother John was raised separately, by other family members. Within a few years, disease would also claim her uncle's life. Following her mother's death, Snowe was sent to St. Basil's Academy in Garrison, New York, where she remained from the third grade to the ninth. One of her teachers was Athena Hatziemmanuel, a notable Greek-American educator at the school. Returning to Auburn, she attended Edward Little High School, before entering the University of Maine in Orono, from which she earned a degree in Political Science (1969). Shortly after graduation, Bouchles married her fiancé, Republican state legislator Peter T. Snowe on December 29, 1969 in New York City.
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