William Diamond | |
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Member of the Maine Senate from the 26th district |
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Assumed office December 3, 2014 |
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Preceded by | Rodney Whittemore |
Member of the Maine Senate from the 12th district |
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In office December 2004 – December 2012 |
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Succeeded by | Gary Plummer |
Personal details | |
Born |
Gardiner, Maine, U.S. |
February 19, 1945
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Jane Diamond |
Alma mater |
University of Southern Maine, Gorham University of New England |
Religion | Lutheranism |
William 'Bill' Diamond (born February 19, 1945) is an American politician and former teacher. Diamond served as a Democratic State Senator from Maine's 12th District, including his residence in Windham. He was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 1976 and served in the House until 1982, when he was elected to the Maine State Senate. He served in the Senate until 1986. In 1989, he succeeded Rodney S. Quinn as Maine's Secretary of State and was re-elected four years later. He returned to elected office in 2004 when he was elected to the Senate. Unable to seek re-election due to term-limits in 2012, Diamond was replaced by Republican Gary Plummer.
In 2014, Diamond again ran for the State Senate, this time in the Windham-based 26th district in Cumberland County, and was elected to a 7th non-consecutive term.
Diamond taught in Windham Public Schools from 1968 to 1986. In 1986, he was school superintendent of Raymond, Maine Public Schools. Mr. Diamond also worked for the Élan School as the Director of Government Relations.
He earned a B.S. from Gorham State Teachers College in 1968, a M.A. from the renamed University of Maine, Port/Gorham in 1972. He later earned an MA from the University of Southern Maine and the University of New England in 1994 as well as post MA studies at the University of New England in 1998.
In 2017, Diamond has co-sponsored a bill to reverse scheduled increases in the tipped minimum wage. The minimum wage increase was passed via a citizen's initiative in November 2016.